First and foremost, we gain the courage to become our true selves. Knowing that we are God’s beloved children, we no longer desire or make use of secondary identifiers. We conjugate our lives (as Evelyn Underhill puts it) through the verb “be,” not the verbs ” have” and “do.” To be our authentic self is an act of courage in a world where associations, accolades, and assumptions create “safe spaces” between our personhood and the public. Living here-and-now puts a stop to “looking good,” and roots us in the desire to be good, the soil from which the fruit of the Spirit grows.

With the “naked now” (as Richard Rohr calls it) identifying us, we are enlivened to act for the sake of others. Speaking and acting for the common good is possible because we live responsively rather than reactively. Having taken the time to stop, look, and listen in the present moment, we are able to recognize what Parker Palmer has called “the tragic gap” between what is and what ought to be. He notes, “the people who achieve the greatest good are those who have the greatest capacity to stand in the tragic gap.” [1]

The prophets in every age exemplify this best. Using their x-ray vision of Spirit-inspired attentiveness, they expose what the “movers and shakers” prefer to keep hidden. But as Walter Brueggemann points out repeatedly, they do not stop with exposure (judgment), they move on to speak and act for justice (i.e. where everyone is given what they need to thrive) in the larger context of hope.

But here’s the point for today: prophets are not a specialized category of persons. They are any of us who are willing to live in the present moment with the courage it gives us. The “kingdoms of this world” are only challenged and changed into the Kingdom of God through courage.

[1] Parker Palmer, ‘A Hidden Wholeness’ (Josey-Bass, 2004), 180.

]]>jstevenharperHoly Love: The Journeyhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/09/09/holy-love-the-journey/
Mon, 09 Sep 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7308Continue reading →]]>​When I was asked to write ‘Holy Love,’ it included the hope that I would not only write from the Christian tradition but also from within the Wesleyan tradition. To do this meant including the hermeneutic of experience. I accepted that invitation because I have come to see that all theology, sooner or later, is autobiographical. The Wesleyan concept of “living faith” means connecting the Story with our story in some way. Otherwise, all we have is dead orthodoxy.

We must stand within the Message as participants, not apart from it as detached observers. We are witnesses, not reporters. Because this was particularly true for the development of my theology of human sexuality, it became the way I chose to begin and end the book—a kind of literary way of setting the theology within the frame of my living of it.

Additionally, since I wrote ‘For the Sake of the Bride’ in 2014, one of the questions people asked me most was, “How did you change your mind?” It was not only a question of general interest but more especially one of particular significance since my change of mind (and heart) necessitated a movement out of decades of a conservative theology regarding human sexuality and into one considered to be progressive. It also meant moving away from the “Asbury world” in which I had lived and worked for so long into a new world made up of devoted disciples of Jesus who thought, spoke, and acted differently with respect to human sexuality. Chapter One tells the story of that journey, and I need not repeat it here.

For the purposes of this post, I want to set my personal journey against the backdrop of a larger necessity in our spiritual formation—the inevitability of having to choose whether to remain in one’s group or move outside it in the exploration of truth. Notice I did not say moving beyond community, for Christian community is always larger than one’s group—unless the group has become obsessed with itself and bestowed upon itself a “pure church” mindset that says, “Everything you need to know is in this group. You need not look elsewhere; indeed, you must not look elsewhere if you want to be in our group.”

Groupism and “group think” are deformative regardless of the topic being considered. In the Kingdom of God there is no such thing as “one-stop shopping.” And sooner or later, our journey will take us beyond a group, unless we make a U-Turn and revert to a view of reality no larger than that of the group. E. Stanley Jones called this giving in to a “herd mentality,” and cautioned against falling prey to it. [1]

Jones rightly notes the difficulty of moving beyond the herd because we have a God-given instinct for belonging. But he shows that “belonging” is a psychological urge, but “belonging to” is a sociological requirement. He wrote, “When the herd becomes God and determines our conduct, then all human relations are thrown into confusion…. Sometimes the herd appeal is so strong that we blindly follow it to our doom. ” [2]

Maturation in the spiritual life eventually requires moving beyond a particular group and into a larger reality than can ever be communicated by or contained within a single group. We see this movement in Jesus himself, both through his actions (e.g. choosing to eat and drink with “sinners”) and his teachings (i.e. “you have heard that it was said…but I say unto you”). We can trace it also in people like the early Christian ammas and abbas, Francis and Clare, John Wesley, and Dorothy Day—to name a few. In every case the decision to move beyond the herd brought down rejection upon them in some way. Groups have no choice but to declare such folks personas non grata, for not to do so would be to ascribe some level of credibility to those who move beyond them and to the new groups with whom they affiliate. Exclusion by the herd is a natural result when someone chooses to think and act differently.

So, I had to write about this journey, not only to explain how it happened, but also to make clear that my new position did not come to pass without struggle and consequence. No one’s ever does.

But even this is not the main point of the first chapter. The main point is that moving beyond the group is a journey into liberation. It is one aspect of Paul’s conviction that “Christ has set us free for freedom” (Galatians 5:1). In his letter that meant the Galatians moving beyond the Judaiser herd into the larger Christian life–away from a life based in law to one based in grace–what Paul called moving out of living in the flesh and moving into living in the Spirit, essentially moving away from legalism and into love.

The fact is, there is no way to see the limitations of the herd until you have moved beyond it. This movement does not mean we deny whatever good there was in our past, it only means that we realize that making the past our only frame of reference turns it into a prison. Freedom affirms a wideness in God’s mercy—a wideness we can never recognize if we choose to remain in the herd. Our experiences beyond the group are transformative. The people we meet outside the group are precious. And the life we discover is abundant.

So…….

(1)In what ways have you previously had to move beyond a group in order to be more alive and true to yourself?

(2)Are there places currently where you are sensing a need to explore beyond your current reality? Are there voices outside your group that you feel you should listen to?

(3)Is your belief about human sexuality such a place? Are new ways of looking at it such a voice?

[1] Jones writes about this in more than one place, but he wrote a weeklong series about the herd instinct in his book, ‘Growing Spiritually’ (Pierce & Washabough, 1953), Week 13.

[2] Ibid., Week 13, Tuesday.

]]>jstevenharperIn-Sight: Excavating the Femininehttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/09/07/in-sight-excavating-the-feminine/
Sat, 07 Sep 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7302Continue reading →]]>​One of the marks of Pentecost was, “Your sons and daughters willl prophesy….upon my servants, men and women I will pour my spirit” (Acts 2:17-18). This same inclusive mark is evidenced whenever the Spirit is moving. Women’s voices arise in civil and religious discourse. Women’s actions influence the public square. And in a world defined by male dominance over the ages, many men do not like it. Our day is no different. But as always, women cannot be silenced because the Spirit cannot be stopped.

Mirabai Starr is one woman who has helped me see, appreciate, and affirm the pentecostal power of women. She did not grow up in any religious tradition, so in responding to her hunger of the heart, she instinctively sought the Sacred in an eclectic way. For that reason her wisdom is both deep and wide. That is refreshing to me as I seek depth, and also breadth, in my life with God. In a recent interview she spoke about how the recognition of women’s voices, “requires excavation, because they are hidden in the patriarchal overlay. It’s at the heart of all the world’s spiritual traditions, it’s the way they were designed and built from the get go: by men, for men.” [1]

That design is in the essence of all the worlds religions, where males have either founded or dominated them. Even more, masculine bias reaches an apex as God is most always described in masculine terms. Thankfully, some of this is benign, but too much of it is a deliberate attempt on the part of men to subjugate the role of women in the society, the academy, and the church. All of it, whether innocent or not, distorts God’s egalitarian intent and deforms the spirit of any who align with it. [2]

Fortunately, we have spiritual leaders in the Christian tradition who keep God’s egalitarian way in view. Jesus himself affirmed the the way. Paul voiced it. Francis’ collaboration with Clare is a powerful testimony, as is John Wesley’s inclusion of women leaders in the Methodist movement. [3] Beyond this, we have the witness of women themselves within and outside of the Christian tradition.

And that brings me back to Mirabai Starr, who is such a woman and one who has introduced us to other women—most recently in her book, ‘Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics.’ [4] In an interview related to the book she noted, “The feminine is rising at last. She is shifting the global paradigm from one of dominance and individualized salvation to one of collective awakening and service to all beings.” [5]

This is surely one reason why women are signs that the Spirit is moving, because God seeks to awaken us to the realization of our oneness, and from that universality to express kindness in a world sorely in need of it. Women combine courage and compassion in ways men too often do not—the fierce and tender combination Mirabai Starr writes about. Our daughters are prophesying, and the world is better because they are.

[1] Sounds True interview, 4/9/19.

[2] Ironically, some women accept the skewed inequality, and affirm male dominance in their political and religious views, forgetting (or perhaps never being taught) that male dominance is one of the results of the fall (Genesis 3:16). Alpha males don’t share that message.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Discernmenthttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/09/04/through-discernment/
Wed, 04 Sep 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7246Continue reading →]]>​Life is a gift. But like every gift, it comes wrapped. We can think of this as the immediate impression which each moment provides. And as with some gifts, what we see first (i.e. the wrapping paper, bow, etc) is noteworthy in and of itself.

But the outside decoration is not the extent of the gift. In fact, the actual gift is inside the box, and it has to be opened in order to know what’s there.

Present-moment living works like this. Our senses bring innumerable “wrappings” to us, but to discover the gift we have to go beneath the surface. We have to “unwrap” the moment and look inside it.

Buddhists call the act of going beneath the surface “deep seeing.” I like that term because it is a reminder there is always more going on than meets the eye. In Christian language, the word is meditation, defined by Hugh of St. Victor as ” piercing to the core of a particular truth.”

Living here-and-now provides the opportunity to go more deeply into our experiences, piercing the into the core of them, being attentive to more than the initial revelation. We believe that it is when we stop, look, and listen that we come to discernment. And it is in moments of discernment when we realize (as St. Francis put it) God is doing cartwheels in creation. It is in discernment where we see and accept (as E. Stanley Jones put it) our marching orders.

]]>jstevenharperHoly Love: Prologuehttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/09/02/holy-love-prologue/
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7306Continue reading →]]>Today, we move from the larger context of the new pentecost (or whatever else it is called) to the topic of human sexuality—one particular place where the fresh wind of the Spirit is blowing. Upcoming posts will follow the development of my book, ‘Holy Love.’ [1] You can read these posts without having the book, but they will make more sense if you do. These posts expand what is in the book.

As we turn to explore the book, it is important for you to understand that it is a primer, not a lengthy study. You will find yourself saying, “I wish he had said more about this” at various places. Keep in mind that the book is like a key– it opens the door to a more in-depth exploration. I was asked to write an introductory book that would show there is another legitimate way (a more progressive way) to interpret Scripture with respect to human sexuality. The footnotes and reading list provide the means for going beyond what I wrote about. Hopefully, these posts will serve that purpose too.

The meeting that I had with “The Other Sheep” group at First United Methodist Church in Orlando in late May of 2014 was crucial in my journey into being an ally with LGBTQ+ people. The meeting occurred soon after my book, ‘ For the Sake of the Bride’ was published. [2] I was already embroiled in pushback for writing the book, experiencing the early waves of rejection for having changed my mind (and heart) about LGBTQ+ sexuality and for moving away from the conservative theology I had held so long concerning it.

The meeting was crucial because it was the beginning of turning my newfound, inclusive theology about LGBTQ+ people into a lived experience with them. As I write in the Prologue to ‘Holy Love,’ I quickly realized that I was not at the meeting to give, but to receive. And from that evening until now, LGBTQ+ people have been grace gifts to me and to Jeannie. For one thing, they have offered us love and acceptance when other Christians have chosen to make us personas non grata. But more than this, they have confirmed over and over the genuineness of who they are,the reality of their faith, the depth of their discipleship, the validity of their marriages, the winsomeness of their witness, and the effectiveness of their ministries. I have come to realize the truth of Walter Brueggemann’s belief that if we we are to change our view of LGBTQ+ people, it will occur not through biblical interpretation but rather from establishing friendships with them. This is my story, and it is why I began ‘ Holy Love’ as I did.

In the ensuing years, I have grown weary of hearing Christians say, “We love the gays,” but then finding out they have no personal and ongoing relationships with LGBTQ+ people. They do not have LGBTQ+ friends. They do not attend conferences and other gatherings conducted by LGBTQ+ people. They do not participate in community events that show respect to and support for LGBTQ+ people. They are not affiliated with or involved in ecclesial and civic organizations devoted to overcoming LGBTQ+ discrimination and harm. They are notoriously separated and absent from programs and places where their alleged positivity would be made real. Consequently, their “we love the gays” allegation falls flat on my ears, and it falls flat on the ears of LGBTQ+ people too.

In the letter of James, we find these words, “What good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it?….Faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity” (James 2:14, 17). Similarly, “we love the gays” mantras are dead when they prove to be words devoid of relationships. And…it is impossible to claim we love anyone whom we do not protect from harm.

My meeting with “The Other Sheep” group turned affirmation into actuality, theology into friendships, revelation into relationships, content into community. I cannot imagine what would have happened to my change of heart if it had remained theoretical. I only know that experiencing the Word becoming flesh was essential. Many of the people I met that evening continue to be good friends to Jeannie and me. They—and those we have met since–are precious gifts. Thanks be to God!

[2] At that meeting there were also members of the “Open Arms” group at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and some folks from other faith communities in Orlando and elsewhere.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Presencehttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/28/here-and-now-presence/
Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7217Continue reading →]]>​Living in the here-and-now gives us the opportunity to experience Presence. When we are preoccupied with what has happened, or with what might happen, we risk missing what IS happening.

Recent studies have shown that the notion we can multitask is largely an illusion created by the fact that our minds can move from one thing to another with amazing speed. The illusion is that we are adept at giving our attention to multiple things simultaneously.

In the spiritual life, we call this having a “monkey mind,” and rather than being a good thing, it is actually a distraction. If we make it a pattern, we live superficially. I agree with Richard Foster when he says, ” Superficiality is the curse of our age.” [1]

I have learned that it is more difficult to stay focused on one thing than to allow my mind to flit from one thing to another. It has taken spiritual exercise to train myself to concentrate on one thing. And I still find myself “all over the place” much of the time; old patterns are hard to change.

One of my favorite definitions of meditation comes from Hugh of St. Victor, “Piercing the core of a particular truth.” This means making a willful choice and effort to “practice the presence of God” (as Brother Lawrence put it) in relation to a single reality–a “particular truth” to repeat Hugh’s words.

Being present to Presence is rooted in the belief that “every moment is a God moment” and that each moment has more than enough life in it to give us life in some way, if we take the time to notice and receive.

]]>jstevenharperHoly Love: Fresh Wind Blowing #3https://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/26/holy-love-fresh-wind-blowing-3/
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7266Continue reading →]]>​The new pentecost is more of a movement than it is an institution. Jesus said that new wine must be poured into new wineskins (Matthew 9 17)), and that is what is happening today. The fresh wind of the Spirit is blowing through a multitude of fresh expressions. Some are part of the traditional/structural Church, others are springing up apart from it.

This new axial age is not without form, however. Just as the original creation moved from chaos into order, the new creation has an observable order in it as well. We turn to this in today’s post. [1]

In a way that I did not see when I wrote ‘Fresh Wind Blowing’ six years ago, the essence of the order is love. That’s why these introductory posts precede our upcoming exploration of the book ‘Holy Love.’ Thanks largely to the influence of Ilia Delio, I see love as the existential ordering of the entire cosmos. [2] We are made by Love, to love. When we live in love, we live in congruence with God, our humanity (imago dei), and our life purpose (the two great commandments).

Living in love brings us into community with others seeking to live the same way. The first Pentecost described the believers as being “all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). The history of Christianity shows that in times of renewal Christians form life-giving associations which nurture themselves and offer life to others. This new order is simultaneously formative and missional.

The new order gives shape and substance to the new monasticism we looked at in the last post. The new order is the new wineskins God is creating to hold the new wine of the Gispel in our day. Social media reveals the diversity of opportunities to be in community. This Oboedire site is a concrete example. Technology enables us to find and connect with others around common callings and interests.

But more… and more importantly….we discover local groups with which we can affiliate to turn online participation into tangible engagement, so that our deepest passions are expressed in at-hand activity. The Word becomes flesh through this kind of ordering.

This ordering requires leaders and participants who understand the nature and activities of spiritual orders—something different than institutional management and membership. I write about these roles in chapter three of ‘Fresh Wind Blowing,’ so I will not repeat myself here. Suffice it to say that living in love in the new ordering of things brings a sense of greater meaning and purpose to our lives We thrive in our life together because holy love is always love in relationship.

The aim of all this (as I describe it in chapter four of ‘Fresh Wind Blowing’) is the exaltation of Christ. Jesus said that when the Spirit is moving, “he will glorify me” (John 16:4). Likewise, when the fresh wind of the Spirit is blowing, Christ increases and we decrease. This why one of the surest signs that a group is not part of the new thing God is doing is when “groupism” and “group think” define things more than radical obedience to Christ—an obedience always more risky, but more genuine, than obedience to the group’s take on things.

Exalting Christ includes the necessity of questioning the status quo and critiquing sacred cows simply because Christ is bigger than our conventional wisdom and larger than the boxes we manufacture to hold it. Christ inevitably leads us beyond our assumptions and associations, in order to show that he is all and in all (Colossians 3:11), not just in our group. This is part of what Paul meant when he told the Galatians to get out of the Judaisers’ box (of legalism and judgmentalism) and live in grace. It was, he wrote, this kind of freedom Christ came to give (Galatians 5:1).

It is this larger Reality (i.e. the Kingdom of God) which calls for our allegiance, not the lesser realities (i.e. “the kingdoms of this world”). It is when we are willing to live in this new creation that God then calls us to work in particular ways to realize the Kingdom here on earth. One of those ways is the affirmation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the Body of Christ through their full access to all the ministries of the Church. I now see it was recognizing and receiving the larger Reality of the fresh wind of the Spirit blowing on the earth today that led me to being an ally with LGBTQ+ people, and in turn to the writing of ‘Holy Love,’ which we will begin to explore in the next post. I wrote these opening contextual posts because I want you to see the forest before we look at one tree in it.

So…..

(1) How is love a communal word for you?

(2) How does exalting Christ call you to move beyond groupism and “group think”?

[1] I write about this further in chapter three of ‘Fresh Wind Blowing.’

[2] The range of Ilia’s ministry, including her writings and related videos, now expresses itself online at The Omega Center.. Richard Rohr has recently written similarly in the chapter “Love is the Meaning” in his book, ‘The Universal Christ’ (Convergent Books, 2019).. They both point to the views of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in their establishment of a Love-saturated cosmos.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: The Pace of Gracehttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/21/here-and-now-the-pace-of-grace/
Wed, 21 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7215Continue reading →]]>​Having laid our foundation for here-and-now living in Scripture and tradition, the rest of this series will be more topical in nature. And I can think of no better segway than to look at the pace of grace. Living in the present moment is one aspect of living in grace.

The world has a pace. We call it busy-ness, activism, freneticism. And at the extreme we name it “hurry sickness.” We are all familiar with this, for we live in a world geared for it. And we know firsthand the debilitating effects of running faster and trying harder in the world’s feverish round of unceasing activities.

I went for years as a Christian without ever thinking that grace has a pace. No one ever taught me to think differently, and my extroverted personality made the speed at which I lived appear normal, even “spiritual.” I had a Bible verse for it, “growing weary in welldoing” (Galatians 6:9), and my misunderstanding of it enabled me to justify “exceeding the speed limit” in too many aspects of my life. [1]

It took an encounter with a book by my friend. Susan Muto, to challenge me to change. [2]. It has taken ongoing commitment and effort to actually change, with a lot of reversions into “hurry sickness” along the way. But having seen another way to live, through the book, the pace of grace has become both a life to experience and a call to reclaim when I fall back into the world’s pace.

Let me inject one important note here, for without it we can become cynical about the pace of grace and maybe give up on it for the most part. The point is simply this: it is easier at some stages of life to live the pace of grace than it is at other times. It is far easier to live the pace of grace in retirement than when the responsibilities of life (legitimate ones, I might add) seemed to turn me every which way but loose. God knows this about us, and in such times, the pace of grace may be more of a vision to keep than an actual practice to achieve. That’s why it is a pace of GRACE.

But even “in the whirlwind,” we do not have to become victims of the soul-draining pace of the world. We can live in the pace of grace through the practice of the spiritual disciplines–means of grace that give our lives pattern and rhythm. The disciplines of abstinence (e.g. solitude, silence, sabbath) are especially helpful.

The disciplines are not only a collection of formative activities, they are also means to help us establish the spirit of the Christian life: engagement and abstinence. [3] The pace of grace is the combination of doing and being, working and resting. If we fall prey to a performance-oriented view of life (e.g. “I am what I do”), it will be difficult to see the pace of grace which essentially says, “I do what I am,” and puts the core of life in our personhood, not our productivity.

The pace of grace comes alive in us as we practice disciplines of abstinence as much as we practice disciplines of engagement. [4] And even when we cannot fully live into this pattern and rhythm, we keep the reality and experience of it alive in little acts of everyday living that grow us in both our character and our conduct, lest in our freneticism we forget who we are.

[1] My misinterpretation was largely because I did not take to heart the fact that the verse begins, “let us not…”. In other words, I did not realize (or refused to see) that the weariness was not a proof of my spirituality, but actually a sign of its absence.

[3] Dallas Willard, ‘The Spirit of the Disciplines’ (HarperSanFrancisco, 1988). This is the book that transformed my understanding of the disciplines as a collection of good spiritual practices to viewing them as gifts from God that establish and maintain the pattern and rhythm of the spiritual life.

[4] There are numerous and varied spiritual disciplines–many more means of grace than can be put on any list. But here are some examples of disciplines of engagement and abstinence. Engagement: worship, prayer, study, service, celebration, confession, submission, guidance, and fellowship. Abstinence: solitude, fasting, simplicity, meditation, chastity, silence, and confidentiality. Dallas Willard’s book above looks at these, as does Richard Foster’s book, ‘Celebration of Discipline,’ 40th Anniversary edition (HarperOne, 2018).

]]>jstevenharperHoly Love: Fresh Wind Blowing #2https://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/19/holy-love-fresh-wind-blowing-2/
Mon, 19 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7264Continue reading →]]>​As far as I know, no one who reads my posts is a monk. And I am guessing those who do would not hesitate to say, I am not a monk.” But the fact is, surprising as it is, we are all monks. We are all monastic, and the new pentecost God is effecting today calls us to recognize and respond to this call.

The word ‘monk’ does not mean a person who lives a cloistered life, but one who lives a singular life. Monk means “monos”—singular. It means devotion to God alone and the offering of ourselves to God as living sacrifices. The fresh wind of the Spirit is creating a new monasticism. [1] But what does that mean, particularly for those of us who will never live in monasteries, convents, or other cloistered communities but rather as disciples of Jesus in the world?

We begin our response to that question by turning to Jesus and his call of the twelve apostles (Mark 3:13-19). The first thing we see is that they shared a common twofold calling: to be with Jesus and to be sent out in his name. Our singularity is first found in commonality—in community. The earliest monks found this out when their attempts to be isolated hermits gave way to their need to be in fellowship with other monks. Cenobitic monasticism (life together), not hermetical monasticism (life apart) became the model. Similarly, we share a common vocation, no matter where we live or what we do: to be with Jesus and to go into the world in his name.

In Christian history this is the singular Rule of Life for every disciple: worship (oratio) and work (labora). [2] We live this out through spiritual practices called works of piety and works of mercy. In the Wesleyan tradition we call these the instituted and prudential means of grace. [3] They form us inwardly and outwardly in our singular devotion to Christ. This life together is genuinely monastic—singular in intent and expression, the common way we fulfill the two great love commandments and manifest the fruit of the Spirit.

From this foundational unity, God moves us into necessary diversity. We see it in three ways in Scripture. First, tradition teaches that each of the twelve apostles eventually fanned out into different parts of the world, either on a part-time or full-time basis. For example, Thomas went to India and likely died there. [4] Others of the twelve are said to have gone to Rome, Ephesus, Greece, Asia Minor, Russia, the Ukraine, Armenia, Persia, Macedonua, Syria, Parthia, Media, and Ethiopia. Their common commissioning sent them into a variety of places.

The second evidence of diversity comes through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, given differently to different people, expressed through a variety of ministries, and with a multitude of outcomes (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). No one has all the gifts. But each of us has one or more spiritual gifts—some are abiding and some are temporary. All are given to glorify God.

The third sign of diversity comes through the list of ministries: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). The word ‘some’ is added to each of the four ministries as a way of indicating a sacred allotment of these ministries to certain people. Through discernment we locate ourselves in a particular ministry area and find it to be a means to serve Christ in the world. [5]

The point here is that we devote singular (monastic) and concentrated (focused) attention in a diversity of locations, differing giftedness, and specific ministries. The essential oneness is not broken by this diversity, but rather expressed through it. The New Monasticism is reviving this vision, and God is using it to simultaneously bond us together in Christian unity and send us out for a singular devotion to many specific things.

Applying this personally enables me to recognize that I am one with everyone in a common humanity and one with all Christians in a common faith, while at the same time being called to a current prophetic ministry that particularly emphasizes being an ally with LGBTQ+ people. It explains how ‘Holy Love’ came to be a book, and how these posts expand on it.

The same unity/diversity singularity is given to you as a means of strengthening your bond of love with everyone and revealing the particular ways God is calling you to love. And it is precisely here that we see and celebrate the fact that we are indeed, monks—privileged to live in a time when God’s fresh wind is blowing!

So…..

(1) How did this post help you understand yourself as monk?

(2) Does any characteristic of the monastic (singular) life invite you into a deeper discipleship?

[1] This is the focus of chapter two of my book, ‘ Fresh Wind Blowing.’ For more, see Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, ‘The New Monasticism’ (Brazos Press, 2008) and John Michael Talbot, ‘The Universal Monk: The Way of the New Monastics’ (Liturgical Press, 2011).

[2] The Rule of St. Benedict is the best-known expression of the worship/work life together. The Rule is easily accessible in traditional and ebook formats, as well as online. I have written an extended series of meditations on the Rule here at Oboedire. Go to the righthand sidebar of the home page and click the “Benedict’s Rule” category to see it.

[3] Elaine Heath has written an excellent book on the Wesleyan instituted means of grace (works of piety), ‘ The Means of Grace’ (Abingdon Press, 2017). I also have a book about the instituted means, ‘ Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition: A Workbook (Upper Room Books,1995). I also have a chapter, “Works of Piety as Spiritual Formation” in Paul Chilcote’s book, ‘The Wesleyan Tradition: A Paradigm for Renewal (Abingdon Press, 2002). Rebekah Miles has a chapter in the same book, exploring the Wesleyan prudential means of grace, “Works of Mercy as Spiritual Formation.”

[4] I had the opportunity to visit St. Thomas’ tomb in Hyderabad, India in 1973. It was a moving and memorable experience.

[5] Daryl and Andrew Smith have written a book to assist people in finding and expressing their ministry focus, ‘Discovering Your Missional Potential’ (100 Movements, 2019).

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: William Barber, II and Liz Theoharishttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/14/here-and-now-william-barber-ii-and-liz-theoharis/
Wed, 14 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7213Continue reading →]]>​I choose to end our look at tradition (e.g. people and movements) with William Barber II and Liz Theoharis, the two co-leaders of the renewed Poor People’s Campaign. They represent a growing grassroots movement for reform that is rooted in a commitment to here-and-now living.

Of particular note is the fact that the Campaign has become reactivated as a result of what is called the “Auditing America Report.” Rather than move on the basis of generic ideas, the Campaign has taken a long, broad look at the nation today and concluded there are five current realities which must be challenged and overcome: systemic racism, poverty & inequality, ecological devastation, war economy & militarism, and a distorted national narrative. Woven into these five themes are numerous sub themes (e.g. LGBTQ+ discrimination) which add to the urgency and focus of the movement.

Every concern is rooted in present-moment reality, and the Campaign’s ensuing words and actions are in the spirit of Charles Wesley’s hymn phrase, “To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill. O, may it all my powers engage, to do my Master’s will.” [1]

The witness of the Campaign to here-and-now living is laudable, but there is also something very practical here as well. What might congregations find if they established a “ministry zone” (e.g. three-mile radius of their church) and did an audit to determine the top-five needs nearest to them?

There are approximately 500,000 congregations in the USA. Think of the territory that would be covered if each one defined and ministered to their respective “coverage area.” Through such an effort, we would experience what it means to live in the present moment where God has placed us.

[1] Hymn, ‘A Charge to Keep.’ by Charles Wesley

]]>jstevenharperIn-Sight: The Third Temptationhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/13/in-sight-the-third-temptation/
Tue, 13 Aug 2019 18:04:43 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7284Continue reading →]]>I do not usually post something on both Fscebook and Oboedire. This is an exception.

_______________________________

“The Third Temptation”

I cut my teeth as a new Christian on Evangelicalism. I developed my faith within Evangelicalism. I lived into my sixties ministering in various ways as an Evangelical. Today, I have abandoned the word. I have left the camp. Some in that camp have interpreted my leaving it with leaving the faith because to them, Evangelicalism and Christianity are virtually synonymous. But that has never been true, and it is not true in my case either. [1]

But they are correct in one facet of their observation: I am no longer an Evangelical as it has come to be identified (hijacked) by Christian fundamentalists today. [2] The Evangelicalism that I moved with for so long has radically changed, contorting it into a shape that in key respects looks very little like Jesus. Evangelicalism today, at least as it is represented by its main leaders in North America, has become Christian populism. That is what I have left behind.

I was reminded of this recently when a friend told me about a new book written by Ben Howe, entitled ‘The Immoral Majority: Why Evangelicals Chose Political Power Over Christian Values.’ It is a penetrating and provocative book, written by one who still identifies himself as conservative, but now believes that American Christian conservativism is too often working at cross purposes with the Gospel, and doing so in unChristlike ways.

Howe is by no means the only person to feel this way. He is just one of the latest Christians to have the courage to say that Christian populism is an emperor who has no clothes on. Nearly ten years ago in the same month (March 2019) two distinguished scholars (George Marsden and Mark Noll) published detailed, scholarly accounts showing how evangelicalism was being coopted by fundamentalism. [3]

Marsden clearly showed that the two things were distinct movements in American church history, but that fundamentalism was blending them into one. Noll chronicled the same thing, going on to say that evangelicalism’s takeover by fundamentalists resulted in a loss of looking at the world in a Christian way, but rather in ways that combined political and theological thinking into a calculated obscurantism that ended up making the Moral Majority movement quite immoral. [4]

I read Marsden and Noll in 2010, with an eye-opening effect. So, it is no surprise that Howe’s book has reopened thoughts and feelings that have been swirling in me for more than a decade. From a deep place in me, that is simultaneously painful and liberating, I ask myself, “What happened? How did Evangelicalism become what it is today?”

For me, the answer is seen through the lens of one word: power. Evangelicals “got the power” in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and the wheels on the Evangelical/Fundamentalist combo bus began to turn, going round-and-round on a journey with increasing speed that brings it to where it is today.

And as I think about this yet again, a memory comes into the picture. I was befriended and guided by Ed Robb, Jr. in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Ed called himself (as others did then) a “neo-Evangelical” because he did not want the revived Evangelicalism to be equated with fundamentalism. On one occasion, I was in a group with Ed, when someone asked him, “What is your greatest concern about the new Evangelicals?” He replied, “What will happen to us when we have the power.” [5]

So….there it is, no matter who says it, or when. Power. Evangelicals have yielded to the third temptation: “I will give you the kingdoms of the world and their glory, if you bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8-9). It can happen to anyone, and over the centuries it has happened to all sorts and stripes of Christians. We happen to be living in a time when it is happening in the evangelical/fundamentalist combo of Christian populism.

Walter Brueggemann further awakened me to this several years ago as he exposed the evils of imperialism. And along with others (e.g. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, William Barber II, Wilda Gaffney, Christena Cleveland, Joan Chittister, Elaine Heath, John Dear, Mirabai Starr, Cheryl Anderson, and Richard Rohr) I have come to see the unholy mixture of religion and politics that doles out power and privilege to any who go along with it. Christian populism is a major benefactor. [6]

When religious leaders put power as the ultimate value, anything can happen after that. Once religious leaders equate “the kingdoms of this world” with the Kingdom of God, no one is safe except those who hunker down in the civic/ecclesial fortresses, ascribing near-messianic status to designated people in the state and the church. Once power takes over, “the cause” becomes everything, and winning over the identified “others” is the goal—a victory justified as a sign of righteous indignation, with resisters and critics consigned to lesser levels of alleged unrighteousness.

There are many casualties. Much damage is done inside the Church. But even more is done outside it, as ordinary folks walk out of the Church or walk on without ever going inside–able in either case to tell the differences between it and Christ.

We are always harmed by people who yield to the third temptation. Power. Thankfully, Jesus resisted it, and he calls us to resist it too.

[1] I use the word “ camp” intentionally, because in the history of Christianity, the Evangelical tradition has been the Word-centered stream in the larger Christian river, a good stream unlike what the word ‘Evangelical’ has come to stand for today. Richard Foster has written well about the good Evangelical stream in Christian history, along with five others that he calls the six great traditions of the Christian faith: the contemplative tradition, the holiness tradition, the charismatic tradition, the social justice tradition, and the incarnational tradition. His book is entitled, ‘Streams of Living Water’ (HarperOne, 1998).

[2] Truth be told, I am less taken with any labels, for there is no single adjective put before the word ‘Christian’ that fully describes my faith. Eugene Peterson and I visited about this years ago. He shared his sense that adjectival descriptors of Christianity weaken it. He said he had come to the place of simply saying, “I am a Christian” and letting it go at that. I feel the same today.

[4] My awakening to what was happening to Evangelicalism (with a lot still to be unearthed in ciming years), came at roughly the same time Phylis Tickle, Brian McLaren, and others (quickly labeled by the fundamentalists as having lost their faith, in ways I later came to be labeled) were declaring that a “great emergence” (also called by other names) was growing on the earth—that God was doing a new thing. Marsden and Knoll opened my eyes. Tickle and McLaren showed me what to look at. But I stayed in the camp for four more years.

[5] I have wondered a thousand times where Ed would locate himself today in the swirling mess we find ourselves in, and I offer no predictions. But of this much I am sure: Ed would see clearly how Evangelicalism has “drunk the Kool-Aid” in its rise to power in North America. He saw the peril of power long before many did, and in ways some still refuse to see.

]]>jstevenharperHoly Love: Fresh Wind Blowing #1https://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/12/holy-love-fresh-wind-blowing-1/
Mon, 12 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7261Continue reading →]]>​In order to embrace the significance of LGBTQ+ inclusion, we must understand that it is part of something larger that God is bringing to pass on the earth today—a new pentecost. A fresh wind of the Spirit is blowing, and we are called to raise our sails and become part of the movement. I have previously written about this in my book, ‘Fresh Wind Blowing,’ and to explore the larger context of what God is doing on the earth today, you may want to have this book and read it prior to ‘Holy Love.’ [1]

I join a large number of people who, for the past twenty years or so, have become convinced that we are living in a pivotal moment in history, a new axial age, what some are calling a “great emergence.” We did not choose to be alive today, but as followers of Christ, we are responsible for living in alignment with the new things God is doing. The movement is global and pervasive of all aspects of life. [2]

As with similar previous times in history, the invitation to be co-creators with God comes in a whirlwind of complexity, complete with challenges by status-quo imperialists for whom change is always threatening. [3]. If you had asked Martin Luther, “How’s it going?” upon seeing him leaving the Diet of Worms, he would not have said, “Great, it’s the beginning of the Reformation!” He would more likely have said, “Not so good. They just excommunicated me, and some intend me more harm.” [4]

Living in a new pentecost is risky because our involvement occurs before we know how others (including longstanding friends and colleagues) will react. Living in a new pentecost means radically seeking to live for “God alone” and being willing to leave (or to be expelled from) groups from whom much of our former identity and affirmation came. Living in a new pentecost is in keeping with Jesus’ call to put our hands to the plow and not look back (Luke 9:62). Living in a new pentecost is a leaving/cleaving experience inspired by a vision of a greater good and enacted by a deliberate practice of the better.

Living in a new pentecost is not a compulsion, it is an invitation. As it has always been, it is a choice that God lays out before us (e.g. Deuteronomy 27-30), culminating in the necessary call to “Be strong! Be fearless! Don’t be afraid and don’t be scared by your enemies because the Lord your God marches with you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Living in a new pentecost means deciding that your soul belongs to God, and not to anyone or anything else.

So…..

(1) Have you sensed a “fresh wind blowing”? If so, how? If not, how did this post awaken you to it?

(2)How can you raise your sails so that the Spirit can fill them and make you part of the new thing God is doing today?

[1] Steve Harper, ‘Fresh Wind Blowing: Living in God’s New Pentecost’ (Cascade Books, 2013). It is available in paperback and ebook formats. The book is part of The New Monastic Library series, books devoted to taking ancient principles and practices and applying them to contemporary renewal in the society and church.

[2] There are many ways to see the pervasive nature of the new pentecost. I call your attention to five illustrations of it: (1) The Wild Goose Festival, (2) The New Poor People’s Campaign, (3) The Center for Action and Contemplation, (4) Pace ë Bene, and (5) the New Monasticism. You can google each one to learn more. Even more significant are the local, state, and national organizations (civic and religious) daily working in sync with the new pentecost.

[3] My understanding of the inevitability of challenges to change has been greatly shaped by the writing (and some videos) by Dr. Walter Brueggemann. I note his classic book, ‘The Prophetic Imagination’ and his more-recent one, ‘Tenacious Solidarity.’

[4] I write more about this in ‘Fresh Wind Blowing,’ 2-4.

]]>jstevenharperA Reminderhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/10/a-reminder/
Sat, 10 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7277Continue reading →]]>Once or twice a year, I post a reminder that Oboedire grows almost entirely by word of mouth. I do not advertise it.

Whether you have been part of the Oboedire fellowship for a long time, or only a short while, if you find it helpful please tell others about it.

The 2019 theme series, “Here and Now” continues each Wednesday.

“In Sight” returns with a monthly (first Saturday) writing that looks at the spiritual life from a variety of vantage points.

And, most recently, the new series ‘Holy Love’ posts each Monday as a companion piece for my latest book of the same name.

If you know people who would find these things to be formative in their spiritual journey, I hope you will introduce them to Oboedire. Thanks!

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Henri Nouwenhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/here-and-now-henri-nouwen/
Wed, 07 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7211Continue reading →]]>​I cannot write about here-and-now living without mentioning Henri Nouwen. Although he did not introduce me to the idea, he has added significant content and perspective to it.

Nearly all his books speak about living in the present moment. But he wrote one book devoted entirely to the theme, ‘Here and Now.’ [1] He called this kind of life “living in the Spirit,” and he wrote about it in a full orbed way. With customary honesty, Nouwen included experiences of sorrow and suffering among the formative aspects of the spiritual life. And one of the things I appreciate most about his view is the way he makes simplicity the usual means for living well in the present moment

Through his letters, we can see Nouwen’s commitment to here-and-now living going back much earlier than this book. In 1978 he wrote to a former student and his wife, who were trying to discern whether or not to move away from one form of ministry and go into another one. While encouraging them to remain open to a new call from God, Henri offered these words of counsel.

“My first response to your letter is that right now [God] calls you to be just where you are.” [2] He went on to say that he believed the best way to hear a new call from God was by being faithful to the current call. For Nouwen, the present moment is the good soil into which new seeds can be sown, in turn germinating and producing a fresh harvest that nourishes us in the future.

Nouwen has enabled me to realize that the best way to be receptive to the future is to be attentive in the present. Spiritual seeing and hearing is cultivated here-and-now. If we can see and hear what’s in front of us, we envision and discern what’s ahead of us.

]]>jstevenharperHoly Love: Introductionhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/05/holy-love-introduction/
Mon, 05 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7259Continue reading →]]>This past May my book, ‘Holy Love: A Biblical Theology for Human Sexuality,’ was published by Abingdon Press. As with its predecessor, ‘For the Sake of the Bride’ (Abingdon Press, 2014), the book describes my journey into becoming an ally with LGBTQ+ people, an advocacy rooted in the revelation of Scripture and my accompanying interpretation of it.

‘Holy Love’ is not only being read by individuals, it is also being used in various group settings. In light of this, I am beginning this new Oboedire blog series to further explore the book and the larger subject of love in the Christian tradition. [1] I hope it will enrich your personal and group reading of the book.

This new series begins with introductory posts related to my book, ‘Fresh Wind Blowing: Living in God’s New Pentecost.’ [2] I have come to see that this larger work of God is the context within which a theology of human sexuality must exist. So, I want to begin with ‘Fresh Wind Blowing.’ Following these opening posts, I will write weekly ones that follow the flow of ‘ Holy Love.’

I hope you will join me on this journey. If you like, use the coming week to get ‘Fresh Wind Blowing’ and ‘Holy Love,’ so you can connect these posts to the books on which they’re based. And if you know others whom you think would be interested, invite them to follow this series as well. The world in general and the LGBTQ+ community is longing to be loved. I have written the book ‘Holy Love’ and this related series with the hope that it will be one thing God uses to help us say, “yes” to God’s call to be lovers to everyone and everything. All means all.

[1]I wrote a similar series related to ‘For the Sake of the Bride.’ from September 5, 2014 through July 31, 2015. You can find them archived on the righthand sidebar of the Oboedire home page under the category named “For the Bride.”

[2] Steve Harper, ‘Fresh Wind Blowing’ Living in God’s New Pentecost’ (Cascade Books, 2013). It is available in paperback and as an ebook.

]]>jstevenharperIn-Sight: Life is One, Togetherhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/08/03/in-sight-life-is-one-together/
Sat, 03 Aug 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7256Continue reading →]]>[Note: “In-Sight” has been an ongoing , occasional series here on Oboedire for some time. Previous posts are archived on the righthand sidebar of the Oboedire home page. The series resumes today as a monthly (first Saturday) post that explores the spiritual life from a range of vantage points, noting specific things that are getting my attention these days]_____________________________

If I were pressed to name only one thing today that threatens the spiritual life more than any other, I would choose the absence of oneness in the world. Separatism is our greatest peril. We are a divided people, separated from others, the creation, and our own selves. We are splintered into innumerable dualities and factions, rooted in fear and expressed in self-preservation programs of all kinds. The loss of the common good threatens life now and puts the future in jeopardy.

Sister Joan Brown describes our dilemma, “If we are unable to see that we are in communion with another, we will not realize that what we do to ourselves, we do to the other and to the earth. Likewise, we do not realize that, ultimately, our lack of understanding turns back toward us in violence, whether that is fear of other races and diversity, or destruction of Earth because we see the natural world as an object rather than a subject with interiority.“[1]

Similarly, John Muir, who observed nature up close and personal wrote, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” [2] Human life is no exception. Separatism is the great illusion, oneness is the grand reality. Wonder is Oneder.

When we serve the causes of separatism (and there are many ways to do it), we are living in reverse of what God intends and what Jesus prayed for, that “they will be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (John 17:21). Every major religion shares the aim of awakening us to the Reality that all of life is of God, and exists in God and for God.

Hinduism speaks of God present in the forest and in the cave of the heart. Buddhism sees everyone and everything in the context of enlightenment. Taoism embraces all of life within the Way. Judaism teaches that no matter where we go, God is there (Psalm 139). Islam says that “Whithersoever you turn, there is the face of God” (The Qur’an, Al-Baqara, 2:115).

In the Christian tradition, this Reality is summed up in one sentence, “Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:11, NRSV). E. Stanley Jones said of this verse, “Nothing in all literature can compare with this.” [3] Christ, the eternal second Person of the Holy Trinity, is universally and pervasively present in everyone and everything (see John 1:3). [4]

Oneness is the source (Deuteronomy 6:4) and substance (Galatians 3:28) of life. Oneing is the ministry (i.e. reconciliation) God has called us to engage in (2 Corinthians 5:18), so that there can be an emerging alignment between the way life is meant to be here and now and how it will ultimately be when God’s eternal plan is fulfilled, “to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth” (Ephesians 1:10). John Wesley recognized this comprehensive oneness, commenting that God’s purpose is to “recapitulate, reunite, and place in order again under Christ, their common head…all angels and people, whether living or dead, in the Lord. ” [5]

The implications of this are manifold, but one that’s particularly important for us today is the recognition that life as God intends it is deformed when partisanship, division, discrimination, and nationalism make separatism (and the superiorities it creates) the prevailing view and operative energy of life. E. Stanley Jones put it simply, “You can’t grow on a No” and that to turn life into negative dualisms is to contribute to the process of decay. [6]

More recently, Richard Rohr has voiced the same sentiment, “the divisions, dichotomies, and dualisms of the world can only be overcome by a unitive consciousness at every level: personal, relational, social, political, cultural, in inter-religious dialogue, and spirituality in particular. This is the unique and central job of healthy religion (re-ligio = to re-ligament!).” [7] Thomas Keating echoes the same sentiment, “Jesus’ teaching about the unity of the human family as the most urgent expression of the will of God must upstage every other value and consideration.” [8]

We have our marching orders for the time in which we live: to remove walls that divide, and reveal to a fractured and fragmented world that our existence is a total life immersion in God, in whom we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). We are one reality (creation), one family (humanity), sharing a one responsibility (the preservation and enrichment of all forms of life). Whatever life we have on this planet will be life together.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Rosa Parkshttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/07/31/here-and-now-rosa-parks/
Wed, 31 Jul 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7209Continue reading →]]>​I deliberately write about Rosa Parks today, to point through her to the power of here-and-now living, and that with respect to nonviolent resistance to injustice and racism. Her decision not to give up her seat on the Montgomery city bus was one made in relation to a present-moment challenge that reflected an abiding evil. It created a ripple effect that continues to this day. [1]

Through Rosa Parks we are reminded of the power which ordinary people possess to overcome evil with good–and to do so with respect to everyday things, in her case, a seat on a bus. Parks knew that the routine things of life are where the moral conscience is formed. She personified Jesus’ call for us to be faithful in little things (Luke 16:10).

Moreover, her refusal to move put flesh and blood on the Bible’s definition of justice, pointing to a quality of life in which all people are given what they need to thrive, not just the few. Her present-moment living was rooted in the fact that all people are made in the image of God and are persons of sacred worth, worth which affords them access to what others already have.

One of the most evil things in the world is the denial of human rights, which can be touted in the present moment without being actualized in it. A strange ethic of deferral exists that puts the establishment of justice at an unspecified time in the future. Martin Luther King wrote about this evil in his letter from the Birmingham jail, noting that it was a view held by Christians who alleged to share his convictions regarding injustice, but said “not now” with respect to putting them into practice.

Rosa Parks stands as a living denial to any “not now” view of life that neutralizes and prevents the enactment of righteousness in the present moment. There is only one place and time for holiness: here and now.

[1] Jeanne Theoharis’ award-winning book, ‘The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks’ (Beacon Press, 2013) reveals the depth and breadth of Parks’ life and work in the civil rights movement.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Dorothy Dayhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/07/24/here-and-now-dorothy-day/
Wed, 24 Jul 2019 11:35:53 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7207Continue reading →]]>​When I think of Dorothy Day, I immediately connect her life and work to Jesus’ words, “as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). She welcomed the stranger and showed compassion to those in need in ways that continue to inspire and instruct us today. [1]

And of course, the only place we can do this is here-and-now. Dorothy Day’s diaries and letters are filled with one example after another confirming in spades that she lived her life this way. She once described her meditation as taking place “here, there, and everywhere–at the kitchen table, on the train, on the ferry, on my way to and from appointments, and even while making supper or putting Teresa to bed.” [2]

Everything she referred to is a present-moment experience. And in many ways, her statement summarizes everything we are attempting to say and emulate about here-and-now living. Dorothy Day recognized the sacredness of each moment, seeing it as an invitation to penetrate the surface and discover God present and active in all people and things.

This is present-moment mysticism; that is “having eyes to see and ears to hear” in ways that keeps the flame of love burning in our heart and moves us into a loving engagement with all of life. As with everyone else we are looking at in this series (and anyone else, for that matter), the forms and practiced Dorothy used may or may not be the ones God calls us to use. But the intention to live here-and-now will be the lens for seeing that every moment is a God moment, and that we live in each moment as participants, not observers.

[1] Her autobiography, ‘The Long Loneliness’ (Harper & Row, 1952) enables us to see all this directly from her own words.

]]>jstevenharperBeginning Year Tenhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/07/20/beginning-year-ten/
Sat, 20 Jul 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7241Continue reading →]]>Today marks the ninth anniversary of Oboedire. I had no idea when I began this blog that it would go on this long or take the shape that it has. But as they say, it is what it is.

Over these years, a mass of materials have been written and archived. You can track them chronologically and categorically on the righthand sidebar. But there is a new way to access and interact with previous posts.

Many posts have been part of extended series. These offer readers the opportunity to explore something over a longer period of time. I have created a new icon on the Oboedire home page that lists these thematic posts: “Navigating the Site.” It is the easiest and best way to see the emphases Oboedire has addressed over the years, and these themes can now serve as resources for personal reflection and/or group study.

As year ten begins, the 2019 theme, “Here and Now” continues each Wednesday. I am spending the year showing how the spiritual life is lived in the present moment. I hope you have been following the series. If not, but you’d like to, it is archived on the Oboedire home page.

Moving into Year Ten, I want you to know about two new features for Oboedire:

(1) The longrunning “In-Sight” category will now be a monthly post the first Saturday of each month, beginning August 3rd. The posts give me the opportunity to write to you about things currently getting my attention, and to look at the spiritual life in a variety of ways.

(2) A new weekly category, “Holy Love,” will explore matters related to my book of the same title (a kind of between-the-lines author conversation with you, a resource for personal reflection and for groups using the book). It begins on August 5th. [1]

Some of you have been fellow pilgrims on the Oboedire path since it began. Others of you have come along since. I thank you for joining the journey. I hope you have found it helpful.

Obordire grows as you let others know about it. WordPress has added a “share” feature that makes it easy and quick to put a post on your own social media. And as always, you can tell folks about Oboedire and invite them to subscribe.

Please continue to pray for me as I develop the Oboedire ministry. The aim of these posts remains the same as when Oboedire first began: to be a means to help you cultivate an attentive spirituality that matures you in your faith and inspires you to be a servant of God in the world.

Blessings! Steve

[1] Steve Harper, ‘Holy Love: A Biblical Theology for Human Sexuality’ (Abingdon Press, 2019). It is available in paperback and ebook formats.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Thomas Mertonhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/07/17/here-and-now-thomas-merton/
Wed, 17 Jul 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7204Continue reading →]]>​We are fortunate to have the journals, letters, writings, and recordings of Thomas Merton. Even a cursory walk through them confirms Merton’s intention to live in the here-and-now. Today, I illustrate his commitment in these ways.

First, he embraced the Cistercian vision of the monastery as a school of love and owned the Cistercian intention to be a total ‘yes’ to the will of God. [1] Merton knew he was a complicated person whose energy and interests took him in many directions. He knew he had to estsblish a center–a reference point, a point of return, a core. The Cistercian tradition provided him with the ingredients to live in that center.

Second, within days of arriving at the Abbey of Gethdemani (12/10/1941), we find him engaged in the common life of this Cistercian community with the intent of improving what he found there. He could do this because of his obvious great love for the life he had vowed to live. So, even when fellow monks and abbots disagreed with him, they never saw him as someone throwing stones.

Merton’s early observations grew into a larger effort to be an instrument for monastic renewal. He never did this with an eye on the future that was detached from the present moment. Every discovery could be applied here and now, and we can see how his little-by-little appropriation of those learnings affected life together at Gethsemani, and other places as well. [2]

Third, Merton’s commitment to renewal in the present moment was larger than monasticism, or the Church. It was societal and global. So, it is not surprising that he became a voice in the civil rights movement in The United States and in the larger peace movement around the world. Without leaving the monastic life, Merton’s deep contemplation about the time in which he was living gave him an authentic voice to which activists to this day pay attention and from which they learn. [3]

The maturing of his developing present-moment living (according to Merton himself) occurred at the intersection of Fourth & Walnut in Louisville, on March 18, 1958. Suddenly and unexpectedly, he saw everyone there “shining like the sun.” In that present moment, Merton’s love for all people, and his sense of belonging to all people (and their belonging to him) was like “waking from a dream of separateness.” And being awakened, he put it into here-and-now words by writing, “the gate of heaven is everywhere.” [4]

There is no greater attachment to or investment in present-moment living than that.

[1] M. Basil Pennington, ‘A School of Love: The Cistercian Way to Holiness’ (Morehouse Publishing, 2000).

[2] After his death in 1968, many of Merton’s thoughts about monastic renewal were compiled in the book, ‘Contemplation in a World of Action’ (Image Books, 1973). Merton was putting together most of the material in the book before he died. Friends added to what he had compiled, providing readers with other of Merton’s writings on monastic renewal. In 1978, another book was compiled, ‘The Monastic Journey’ (Image Books) which added even more content to the subject.

[3] Jim Forest has written an excellent book about Merton’s ministry of social reform. It is entitled, ‘The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton’s Advice to Peace-Makers (Orbis Books, 2016).

[4] Thomas Merton, ‘Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander’ (Image Books, 1965), 156-158. To grasp the full significance of Merton’s experience, you should read his complete account of it, not just the oft-quoted excerpts. And of additional note is the fact that Merton included this experience in his final address as novice master (August 20, 1965) before moving full-time into his hermitage at Gethsemani.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Jean-Pierre de Caussadehttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/07/10/here-and-now-jean-pierre-de-caussade/
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7202Continue reading →]]>​We come to Jean-Pierre de Caussade about halfway in this series, but he was actually the first person through whom I learned about here-and-now living. His book, ‘The Sacrament of the Present Moment’ gave me the opportunity to ponder what I now see is a classical concept in both Christianity and other religions as well. [1]. There are numerous insights in the book. In this post I will only look at two, using the two titles of the book as focal points.

First, the present moment as sacrament. This is because every moment is sacred; that is, it is a moment where love prevails and grace is given. We need not look elsewhere. Grace abounds here-and-now. God comes to us in the present moment to give us what we need.

Grace comes in many packages: blessings, strengthenings, convictions, warnings, provisions, etc. Grace comes in a variety of ways because each moment is different. The present moment is sacred because it is the chronos/kairos intersection where God offers what we need in the moment. Grace is God’s providence.

Second, the response to grace is abandonment to God’s providence. Like every other religion, Christianity rejects the notion of automatic grace. Of course we experience grace irrespective of our awareness of it. But we grow in grace by participation. De Caussade describes it as fruit ripening through good tending of it. Abandonment is the union of our will to receive grace with God’s will to give it, and in that union we thrive.

For de Caussade, joy is the keynote of our union with God–a joy to be found whether or not the moment is easy or difficult, because God (not circumstance) is the joy. God is the Reality present and active in our realities here and now.

[1] Jean-Pierre de Caussade, ‘The Sacrament of the Present Moment’ (HarperCollins, 1989). The book is also titled, ‘Abandonment to Divine Providence.’. The book has remained in print under both titles for nearly 300 years.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Francis & Clarehttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/07/03/here-and-now-francis-clare/
Wed, 03 Jul 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7200Continue reading →]]>​In moving to look at Francis and Clare, we travel past about 800 years of Christian history–years that have numerous insights with respect to present-moment living. But the best we can do in a blog series is to take some snapshots of people and practices that help us live abundantly here and now.

Frances and Clare are a “mountain peak” stopover in our journey. Essentially, this is because they consciously sought to renew the Church of their day along the lines we noted in the previous post about the early Christians.

They reveal the abba/amma inclusiveness of here-and-now living. They embodied the principle of regulated living (as per the Didaché), and they did all this in the spirit of the monastics’ singular devotion to Christ. [1]

But they personified something more. They were among those who believed that the Christian life is essentially uncloisteted–a life outside of monasteries and convents–a life lived in the world. The Franciscan movement was (and still is) a Third Order–that is, an order that includes laity who live in society for the sake of Jesus. [2]

The best way to see this is in the Prayer of St. Francis…

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to understood as to understand
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” [3]

Not a phrase in this prayer can be understood, much less prayed and lived, in any other way than in the present moment. One of the things that Francis and Clare teach us is that here-and-now is the container for living as God intends. We will explore this topically and practically in future posts. But today, through Francis and Clare we see that the present moment is the only reality we have for living a holy life. Every moment is a God moment.

[1] The best exploration I know of regarding Francis and Clare is the volume in the Classics of Western Spirituality series, ‘Francis and Clare’ (Paulist Press, 1982). It has an excellent introduction/overview, as well as the complete writings of both saints.

[2] John Michael Talbot is lay Franciscan who is seeking to make Franciscan living applicable today. His books, ‘Reflections on St. Francis’ and ‘The World is My Cloister’ are two excellent resources in this regard.

[3] Kent Nerburn has written excellent meditations on the petitions in St. Francis’ prayer in his book, ‘Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace’ (HarperCollins, 1999).

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Early Christianshttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/06/26/here-and-now-early-christians/
Wed, 26 Jun 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7198Continue reading →]]>​The remaining posts in this series will be through the lens of the Christian tradition. Upcoming posts will make selected and brief “whistle stops” in Christian history to illustrate how people have sought to live in the present moment.

We begin with the early Christians, essentially before 313 a.d. when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire and the nature of Christianity became intertwined (positively and negatively) with institutional and imperialistic expressions. The roughly 250 year period from the close of the New Testament to the Council of Nicea reveals key insights for here-and-now living. [1]

We begin with ‘The Didaché (c. 110 a.d.). The Christians of the second century CE did not abandon their belief in the imminent return of Christ, but they had to “reset” their eschatalogical clocks, and tend more to here-and-now concerns and necessities. The Didaché was likely the earliest document outside of Scripture describing how they sought to do that.

The document (probably used in catechesis) sought to show the path of life, in contrast to the way of death. It has three sections: ethics, rituals, and organization. All three are aimed to describe and direct abundant living here and now. It was the early church’s way of saying that while Christians had their eyes on the heavens (in anticipation of Christ’s return), they must also have their feet on the ground. Daily living is eternal life made real here-and-now.

Not long afterwards, the monastic movement began in the deserts of the Middle East. Sometimes misunderstood (and misused) as an escape from life, it was actually a means chosen by some to be more engaged with life. The word ‘monos’ means singular. The monastic intent was to live in the present moment without duplicity and distraction. It was a way of choosing “the one thing needful” and making that choice the basis, reference point, and motivation for all of life.

In the monastic movement, three things stood out as incentives to here-and-now living. First, younger Christians would seek out ammas and abbas asking them to “give me a word that I might live.” Second, some of the abbas and ammas held conferences to share their wisdom with groups of people. And third, they lived in communities (cenobitic monasticism) where they supported one another in godly living. All three things formed and fostered living in the oresent moment.

For reasons like these (e.g. Didaché and monasticism) later Christians have looked to the early-Christian era as a time when foundational dimensions of Christian living were messaged and modeled. It is no accident that a growing number of Christians today are looking anew at the early Christians, and finding in them (as others have previously done) a wealth of wisdom and guidance for living life here and now. [2]

[1] To look more broadly and deeply at the early Christians, I recommend Henry Chadwick’s book ‘The Early Church’ (Penguin Books, 1967). For a good overview of early monasticism, Thomas Merton’s ‘The Wisdom of the Desert’ (New Directions, 1960) is an excellent resource.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Native American Religionshttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/here-and-now-native-american-religions/
Wed, 19 Jun 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7195Continue reading →]]>​Before changing gears in this series, I want to highlight the belief in here-and-now living found in Native American religions. As with the other religions we have looked at, there are variations between and among tribes. But we can see the thread of present-moment living running through them all. We see it particularly by looking at their prayers.

Most notably, they prayed that they might live in the Sacred Space. This Lakota Prayer expresses the desire….

“Wakan Tanka, Great Mystery, Teach me how to trust My heart, My mind, My intuition, My inner knowing, The senses of my body, The blessings of my spirit. Teach me to trust these things So that I may enter my Sacred Space And love beyond my fear, And thus Walk in Balance With the passing of each glorious Sun.”

Sacred Space is the space between breathing in and breathing out, something we only do in the present moment. The prayer is expressing the desire to be fully alive moment by moment, what the prayer refers to as walking “in Balance with the passing of each glorious Sun.”

Oglala Sioux leader, Black Elk, called living in the present moment “the first peace,” describing it in these words….

“The first peace, which is the most important, Is that which comes within the souls of people When they realize their relationship, Their oneness, with the universe and all its powers.

And when they realize that at the center Of the universe dwells Wakan-Taka (the Great Spirit), And that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this.”

Notice the present-tense verbs. Black Elk spoke of an experience happening here-and-now, in the Great Spirit, and within each of us.

From this kind of praying and living, Native American religions mirrored the others we have looked at, believing that living in the present moment yielded the ability to see our oneness with everyone and everything, the motivation to act with kindness and compassion toward all, and the openness to receive everything that the Earth is created to give us. [1]

[1] My understanding of Native American religions has been significantly shaped by Kent Nerburn’s book, ‘The Wisdom of the Native Americans’ (New World Library, 1999). An earlier book co-authored by him and Louise Mengelkoch, ‘Native American Wisdom’ (New World Library, 1991) has also been helpful.

]]>

jstevenharperHere and Now: Islamhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/06/12/here-and-now-islam/
Wed, 12 Jun 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7193Continue reading →]]>​Islam’s recognition of present-moment living flows from the sense of God’s comprehensive presence. It shares this perception with other religions, but I write of it here because it is a major emphasis in Islam.

The Quran describes it this way: “Wheresoever you turn, there is the Face of God (2:115). [1] Among other things this means we do not have to look to the past or to the future to experience God. God is present here-and-now. This includes the belief that God is omnipresent, but it is more than being. God’s presence is active, noted by commentators in four ways: giving direction, offering forgiveness, being generous, and especially in showing mercy. In the present moment our relationship with God is one of blessing and benefit.

Related to this, we can note that our awareness and receptivity to God’s presence is enhanced through reading and reflecting on the Quran. In ways akin to lectio divina, the Quran is viewed as a text that is not only informative, but also formative. When used in this way, the Quran itself becomes a present-moment text “a guide for the attainment of beatitude even in this world.” [2]

The basic understanding of beatitude in Islam is joy born out of reverence (taqwā). This is fundamentally expressed in worship and prayer, but it is also a disposition of the heart in which we experience “other qualities as trust (tawakkul), hope (rajāʾ), piety (birr), fear (khawf), and contentment (riḍā).” [3]

So in Islam, as in the other religions we are looking at, present-moment living is the aim. Attentiveness is the means through which we recognize that God is with us, and the means by which we live abundantly here and now.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Judaismhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/06/05/here-and-now-judaism/
Wed, 05 Jun 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7191Continue reading →]]>​We looked at living here and now in the Old Testament, but that does not exhaust what Judaism teaches about it. We gain additional insights from the word ‘aschav.’

Aschav is not in the Bible. The earliest find of the word is in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q225). It is the word that Judaism uses most often to describe present-moment living. A common rendering of the word is “right now.” It is not only a word about immediacy, but also used to describe presence. Living ” right here”… “right now.”

The means for this is meditation. It is a practice, but it is more. Meditation is the belief that the present moment contains all that we need. When we meditate, we ruminate (like a cow chewing its cud) on a particular aspect of current reality. From this concentration, the nutrients of the moment feed us. Often it is a passage in Scripture. But it can also be a focused attentiveness to another text, a work of art, a scene in nature, music, etc.

Aschav means being nourished “right now.” Along with the other religions we have reviewed, here-and-now living happens as we breathe, walk, sit, eat, etc. We likely do it best in solitude, but living “right now” can (and should) also happen when we are with others in community and conversation. Aschav is being totally present in the moment, and in being so we are fully alive.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Taoismhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/05/29/here-and-now-taoism/
Wed, 29 May 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7189Continue reading →]]>​I have decided to write a post about Taoism because it not only extends our realization of how longstanding the belief in here-and-now living is, but through Taoism we see such living through the lens of a Far Eastern religion.

The main way to see present-moment living in Taoism is to read each of the 81 meditations in the ‘Tao Teh Ching’ and see how each of them is pondered and enacted in the present moment. [1] The language is present-tense and the wisdom of the Tao is obviously intended to make us wise, virtuous, and strong here and now.

The fact is, Taoism does not believe either the past or present is real. Existence is only in the present, and that is where we must live. Picking up on this, Taoists have identified signs that help us discern whether or not we are living in the present moment. Depression is a sign we are living in the past. Anxiety is a sign we are living in the future. Peace is the sign we are living in the present. [2]

But the most important thing is that (as is also true of other religions) the Tao is the eternal “now.” [3] To dwell in the Tao is to live in the here-and-now.

[1] I have used John C.H. Wu’s translation of ‘The Tao Teh Ching’ (St. John’s University Press, 1961 and now republished by Shambala) because Dr. Wu was an acknowledged expert on Taoism, and because Thomas Merton commended it as the best translation he had read.

[2] Unfortunately, these signs have been mistakenly turned into a quote from Lao Tsu. But he never said this. The three signs are interpretations that subsequent Taoists have given. In that sense, they are accurate reflections on the relation to Taoism and the present moment.

[3] This is the message of Meditation 1, and it is the thread which winds its way through the next eighty meditations. The Eternal Tao is Mystery, to be sure, but it is “the door of all essence.”

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Hinduism/Buddhismhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/05/22/here-and-now-hinduism-buddhism/
Wed, 22 May 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7186Continue reading →]]>Hinduism is thought by some to be the oldest religion in the world. [1]. Buddhism grew out of Hinduism, so even though they have their differences, it is possible to speak of similarities as well. One similarity is their emphasis on living in the here-and-now.

Hinduism roots life in the present moment through the word ‘VartamAna.’ It simultaneously means ‘living’ and ‘present moment.’ Hinduism holds the two together in a singular reality, with the resulting meaning, “We live in the present time.” [2]

But this is not merely existence. Present-moment living is revealed in the Vedas as an active engagement with life. The image is that of sowing and reaping, similar to Paul’s own teaching, “You reap whatever you sow” (Galatians 6:7). From this belief, Hinduism establishes Vartamana Karma” as one of the main expressions of karma. [3]

Karma is not ‘fate’ as it is often thought to be; rather it is the effort we make to sow good seeds (especially love and compassion in Hinduism), so that our present-moment existence enriches life. Vartamana Karma is not so much about what we get back as it is about what we give. But whether we receive or give, Hinduism teaches we live in the present moment.

Buddhism continues the same idea. Thich Nhat Hanh says it simply, “Life is accessible only in the here and now.” [4] Interestingly, he sees Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God as a commendation of present-moment living, concluding that “The Kingdom of God is now or never.” [5]

Just as in Hinduism, so too in Buddhism, living in the present moment is not merely a state of being, it is also a practice: mindfulness. This is the Buddhist equivalent of Christian meditation, a practice that creates the contemplative life. This life is essentially ethical (productive of comprehensive goodness, and when lived, it gives us deep joy. [6] Living in the present moment creates what the Dalai Lama calls, “the good heart.” It is noteworthy that it is in this kind of heart where he sees the major link between Buddhism and the teachings of Jesus. [7]

Putting everything together, Hinduism and Buddhism teach present-moment living simply because it is only here-and-now where truth is living faith. Putting truth in the past or the future reduces it to an abstract concept, which it was never meant to be.

[1] Others believe it is Zoroastrianism. It is difficult, if not impossible, to say for sure which of the two religions is earliest because they are both believed to have arisen 2000+/- BCE.

[2]. Definition taken from Spoken Sanskrit, an online source cited by Hindus themselves as a good reference.

[6] The Dalai Lama has emphasized the ethical and joyful nature of mindfulness in his writings and public lectures. His book, ‘An Appeal to the World’ (William Morrow, 2017) is a recent and good overview of his thinking.

[7] The Dalai Lama, ‘The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus (Wisdom Publications, 1998).

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: The Perennial Traditionhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/05/15/through-the-perennial-tradition/
Wed, 15 May 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7174Continue reading →]]>It is easy to forget that there was what we might call “religion before the religions.” Scholars are not agreed whether Zoroastrianism or Hinduism is the oldest world religion, but they are generally agreed that no matter which was actually first, it began around 2,000 BCE (4,000 years ago +/-).

Archaeology has unearthed evidence of “religion” (i.e. the religious instinct in humans) as far back as 40,000 years ago. With no connection to a particular date, the writer of Genesis notes that people began to invoke the name of the Lord during the generation of Enosh (Genesis 4:26), clearly a time far back in history.

It makes no sense to think that God was silent for 38,000 years–the time from the expression of a religious instinct to the emergence of formal world religions. To read the first two chapters of Genesis is to see God/human communion “in the beginning.” The creation of world religions was only the formalization (and contextualization) of what had been part of the human experience for a long, long time.

To say it another way, there has been much more time on the earth when people were religious without religions, than with them. The content is much older than the containers. Today we call this longer, pre-religions’ period, the Perennial Tradition. [1] I include it in this series because it too is a testimony to here-and-now living.

Because the religious instinct in the Perennial Tradition was so connected with nature, the here-and-now aspects of life were experienced almost every day: sunrise/sunset, the seasons, good weather/bad weather, agricultural cycles, etc. [2] God and the world were so intimately linked that it was almost impossible to think about anything other than living in the present moment. [3] God was understood to be inherent in all things. [4]. God was present as Presence.

Moreover, the Perennial Tradition emphasized the immediacy of relationship. ‘Here’ was the place and ‘now’ was the time to know God, be influenced by God, and to serve God. There were no designated religious buildings to go to–no specifically declared religious days to observe. It was more like what David declared, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1).

These aspects, and more, from the Perennial Tradition reveal the longstanding history of here-and-now living. This kind of life arises from an organismic (unitive) view of life, compared to a mechanistic (separate parts) view. It is rooted deeply in a God/human “likeness” that began in creation. It is the sense that “God is not far from any of us, for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28).

[2] The first place I saw this was when I read James Michener’s ‘The Source.’

[3] This was because a view of God as imminent took precedence over a view of transcendence. Only later, as religions took shape, did transcendence eclipse imminence, with ‘natural laws’ increasingly describing God’s interaction with creation. In the Perennial Tradition there was no differentiating between God’s person and God’s laws.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: New Creationhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/05/08/here-and-now-new-creation/
Wed, 08 May 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7161Continue reading →]]>​Since I professed faith in Jesus Christ in 1963, my favorite Bible verse has been 2 Corinthians 5:17–“If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, the new has come. ” [1]

In this post, the only thing I want to point out is that the new creation is a present-moment experience. Life “in Christ” is for here and now.

In the present moment, we are being transformed. The old has passed away, the new has come. Paul does not define what is “old” and what is “new,” but the context in which the verse appears helps us to see what he meant.

The old is regarding anyone from a human point of view (5:16). John Wesley wrote that this means we no longer determine the value of another person relative to their past, their nationality, genealogy, status, wealth, power, or wisdom. [2] When we live this way, we do not see or relate to others as God intends. That kind of thing has “passed away.”

In this context, the new is viewing everyone as a sibling in the human family. Wesley commented on this as well, “We fear not the great. We regard not the rich or wise. We account no one less than ourselves.” [3] Living in the substance and spirit of 2 Corinthians 5:17, we live “in Christ” here-and-now with a sense of equality with, inclusion of, and ministry to all people.

This is a message Paul repeated in others of his letters (e.g. Colossians 3:11). Life “in Christ” removed every wall that divides (Galatians 3:28) and made one sacred humanity out of all its pieces and parts (Ephesians 2:15). This, Paul makes clear, has been God’s plan from the beginning–a plan being fulfilled in and through Christ (Ephesians 1:9-10).

From the new creation we learn that here-and-now living is radical oneness. It is inclusion, not isolation…humility, not hubris…love, not legalism…joining, not judging…reconciling, not rejecting. And all of this, and more, is experienced and expressed in the present moment. Thanks be to God!

[1] Since then, I have added verse 18, which shows that as new creations, we are given a ministry–the ministry of reconciliation.

[2] John Wesley, ‘Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament’ (1755), note for Ephesians 5:16.

[3] Ibid.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Apostolic Enactmenthttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/05/01/here-and-now-apostolic-enactment/
Wed, 01 May 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7154Continue reading →]]>Jesus created a ripple effect for here-and-now living that continues to the end of the New Testament. Today I offer only a scratch-the-surface illustration through a few mountain-peak passages where living in the now is emphasized…

Peter: “Now you are God’s people…Now you have received mercy” (1 Petr 2:10).

John: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are” (1John 3:2).

Jude: “to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and , authority, before all time and now and forever” (v 25)

Revelation: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah” (Revelation 12:10).

These few passages will ignite your discovery of
numerous other ones that bring everything included in the Gospel to bear in the present moment.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: The Jesus Lenshttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/04/24/here-and-now-the-jesus-lens/
Wed, 24 Apr 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7115Continue reading →]]>​If all we had to go on was the Sermon on the Mount, we could reconstruct much of the Gospel, especially its view of how to live well. Running through it is the thread of here-and-now living.

It begins in the Beatitudes with the “are” (present tense) verbs. The blessed life is meant for here and now, not there and later. The grace to live abundantly is never deferred, it is offered to us moment by moment. [1]

Once we link into Jesus’ opening remarks, we see the theme extending through the rest of the Sermon. The “are” verbs continue, and there is not a single admonition that cannot be experienced in the present moment. And when he concluded the sermon, Matthew is sure to let us know that his words had an immediate effect on those who heard him (Matthew 7:28-29). It is one way his gospel says, “The teachings of Jesus can have an immediate effect on you too.”

And that is the motif which runs through all of Jesus’ teachings and ministry. “The Kingdom of heaven IS…”. His parables can be applied here-and-now. “Go and do likewise” is counsel for current reality. Abundant living is in the present moment.

The other way we see this is in Jesus’ healing ministry, which is not only an expression of his compassion, but also an indication that God is concerned about what is happening to us right now, right here. Restoration and renewal may be perfected in the new creation, but they are begun here-and-now.

But something more is happening. John writes in his gospel of seven “I am” statements that Jesus made about himself. [2] Not only are these an indication of his oneness with the Father (harking back to the “I AM” name of Yahweh we have already noted), they are also John’s way of telling his readers that the One who is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) offers that fullness to us in the present moment, and Jesus’ final promise nails everything down, “I am…with you always” (Matthew 28:20).

With all this, and more, revealed to us it is no wonder that Jesus summarized abundant life in three words: “abide in me” (John 15), another present-tense invitation from which life (inward and outward) emerges. And this is why life “in Christ” is the essence of the Christian life. [3]

It is for reasons like this that many theologians believe Christology is the lens through which to read Scripture. I agree, and a major reason I do is because when I read the Bible through the incarnate Jesus and the excarnate Christ, I am invited to receive, apply, and express the Message here-and-now.

[1] E. Stanley Jones, ‘The Christ of the Mount’ (Abingdon Press, 1931). This is the best book I have found for connecting the Sermon on the Mount to present-moment living.

[2]. The seven “I am” statements are found in John 6:35, 8:12/9:5, 10:7, 10:11, 11:25, 14:6, and 15:1.

[3] E. Stanley Jones, ‘In Christ’ (Abingdon Press, 1961). Using the page-a-day style, Jones gives us the opportunity (if we wish) to spend a year exploring the “in Christ” life. A transforming read.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: At Handhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/04/17/here-and-now-at-hand/
Wed, 17 Apr 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7113Continue reading →]]>​Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). It was another way of describing here-and-now living. But the words “at hand” provide us with two additional insights about living in the present moment.

First, life is near. For some reason, we can come to think it is somewhere else, somewhere later–when we are different, when our circumstances are different, etc. But life shrivels when we think it is elsewhere. The major religions of the world all teach that the present moment is sufficient. From it we can receive what we need to be alive to God, to others, and to ourselves. We do not have to postpone abundant living. Jesus’ words place the Christian life in this same view.

The nearness of life enables us to concentrate on the present moment, allowing it to nourish us, and making it an occasion to do good to others. Compassion is born when life is “at hand.” The invitation to live in the present moment takes us out of ourselves and motivates us to serve others for the sake of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:5). The Kingdom is near, and we are to live in the world in Jesus’ name.

Second, life is ordinary. For some reason, we can come to believe it is only when we experience something “big,” something out-of-the-ordinary, something spectacular. Interestingly, Henri Nouwen viewed such occasions as the antithesis of abundant living–the way Satan tempted Jesus to trade in his God-given life for a knock-off version. [1] But he did not fall for it, and neither must we. When Jesus used the words “at hand,” he made everyday living holy.

Similarly, Brother Lawrence counseled us to practice the presence of God in our routine activities. He said that picking up a stick out of the road so another person would not trip and fall is as holy as receiving holy communion. [2] This kind of spirituality recalibrates the way we look at life, and live it. It gives us to see God present and active in everyone and everything.

It is when we embrace “ordinary holiness” that we can receive and give joy in the most simple and regular things. Gratitude is born when life is “at hand.”

[2] Brother Lawrence, ‘The Practice of the Presence of God’ (c. 1640). It remains in print in traditional and ebook formats.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Where Life Ishttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/04/10/here-and-now-where-life-is/
Wed, 10 Apr 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7111Continue reading →]]>Jesus said two things that, when put together, show that he wanted us to live in the present moment. First, he told us not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). That was his way of saying, “Don’t try to live in the future.” And second, he told us not to put our hand to the plow and look back (Luke 9:62). That was his way of saying, “Don’t try to live in the past.”

All that’s left is the present moment. It’s the only place where life is. Even our bodies tell us this. We do not live on yesterday’s heartbeat, nor do we live on the assumption that it will still be beating tomorrow. We only live because it is beating right now. That’s why heart attacks are life threatening and have to be addressed immediately. We cannot live on yesterday’s or tomorrow’s heartbeat. We have to have a pulse right here. Here-and-now is the location where life exists.

When we apply this to the spiritual life, it is the same. The past gives us memory, and the future gives us hope. But only the present moment gives us life. And not only is it the location of life, it is the source of life; that is, the present moment is sufficient. Here and now we can experience God. Here and now we can understand who we are. Here and now we can discover what others need and how we can help them. Right here. Right now. It is enough.

The past and the future drain energy from us, Jesus said. The future makes us troubled. The past makes us nostalgic. The present concentrates energy in the here-and-now, and like a laser beam it is energy that ignites us rather than depleats us. This is one reason why the mystics used the image of fire to describe abundant living. It is in the present moment where we live, move, and have our being. It is where the “i am” of our life meets the “I AM” of God. Fire!

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Incarnationhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/here-and-now-incarnation/
Wed, 03 Apr 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7109Continue reading →]]>​I agree with Henri Nouwen that Jesus is the Gospel. [1] He is the Good News. This applies to every aspect of life and to every article of belief. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Incarnation is the peak of revelation.

So…in Jesus…we see the pinnacle of here-and-now living. Today, I point out two illustrations.

The first is the fact that he spent 90% of his life in Nazareth. This is quite amazing when put into the context of Jesus’ mission “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). At first glance, it would seem that Jesus would “get on with the program” as soon as possible. But what we read instead is that he waited quite a while to launch his public ministry.

I use the word ‘public’ deliberately, for I have come to believe that his announcement in the synagogue at Nazareth was not the beginning of his ministry. He had been in ministry every day for a long time in Nazareth. It was a here-and-now ministry that sanctified the ordinary. Jesus did not start being holy when he hit the road. He had been holy walking the city’s streets, honoring his parents, making friends, and plying a trade–all present-moment activities.

The second illustration comes when we see Jesus’ willingness to alter his plans and pay attention to people around him: talking with the woman at the well, going to Zacchaeus’ house for lunch, blessing children, healing a blind man sitting by the side of the road, taking the opportunity to point out that a field ready to harvest was like the Kingdom of God, etc.

Everyday holiness. It came so natural to him because it was the way he had lived his life as far back as he could remember…and…something you’d expect from the Son of the “I AM” God, Who is Love…the One through whom all things were made, and cared for all he made.

[1] Henri Nouwen, ‘Jesus: A Gospel’ (Orbis, 2002).

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Behold!https://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/here-and-now/
Wed, 27 Mar 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7106Continue reading →]]>​Moving from the Old Testament into the New Testament, the linkage word is, ‘Behold’–or more simply, ‘Look.’ It is what the angel told Joseph to do relative to the unexpected announcement that Mary was going to have a baby (Matthew 1:23). It was a link between the Testaments because the angel quoted Isaiah 7:14 in the message to Joseph.

What was foretold in the Old Testament was coming to pass in the New Testament–at least from the vantage point Matthew was using to write his gospel. Mary and Joseph were the bridge between prediction and fulfillment. The word ‘behold’ was the way for them to recognize it.

The word essentially means ‘paying attention’–that is, to stop, look, and listen to what is happening here-and-now until the moment yields its meaning. As we have already noted, every moment is a God-moment. This was certainly true with respect to Mary and Joseph’s experience. What else could the angel say but, “Listen up.”

Years ago, I read an interview done with Henri Nouwen. He was asked to define the spiritual life. He rightly noted that defining it in a single sentence was impossible, but the interviewer persisted with the request. Nouwen replied, If I had to define the spiritual life in one sentence, I would say it is ‘paying attention’.” Behold!

Beyond Joseph’s original moment two thousand years ago, the exhortation is the same one we receive moment-by-moment: “Listen up!” until our chronos time intersects with kairos time– until we “get it” ( or it gets us), and we move into responsiveness rather than reaction. Joseph’s willingness to ‘behold’ altered his initial plan, and enabled him to be part of God’s plan. That’s still how it works today.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Rememberhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/03/20/here-and-now-remember/
Wed, 20 Mar 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7103Continue reading →]]>​There is much more in the Old Testament that can help us live in the present moment, but we must move on if this series is to be contained within our yearlong time frame. One final look at here-and-now living in the Old Testament comes to us through the word ‘remember’–a word (zākar) that occurs 235 times in the Hebrew Scriptures.

It includes the customary notion of mental recollection, but it points us to something more–something we see when we write it this way: re-member. Re-membering in this larger sense is what we often mean when we use the word ‘recollection.’ Remembering is re-collecting ourselves from the many other “locations” our minds take us (what Buddhists call “the monkey mind”) and return us to full presence here and now.

The opposite of this remembering is forgetfulness–more than the loss of memory, but rather always being attentive to somewhere and sometime other than where we actually are. Thich Nhat Hanh describes it as drinking a cup of tea, but thinking about something else….sitting with someone, but thinking about someone else…being somewhere, but thinking about the past or the future. [1] Jesus called it being “troubled”–a condition of distraction that can move us into fear. We refer to it as being preoccupied.

Metaphorically, it is being “away from home,” because the present moment is our only home–the only time when life “is.” So, the Bible exhorts us to live here and now when it tells us to remember. Remembering is the focusing of our attention in the present moment, so that we can have eyes to see and ears to hear (Mark 8:18) what is going on–and having become attentive, then to enter into life with insight and compassion.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Prophetic Particularityhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/here-and-now-prophetic-particularity/
Wed, 13 Mar 2019 04:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7101Continue reading →]]>​We near the end of our brief exploration of the Hebrew Scriptures by pointing to the prophets as longstanding examples of those who saw and proclaimed the here-and-now life. Beginning with Moses in Exodus 3, and running through the biblical revelation to Malachi, the prophets were God’s means of showing that the life of God in the human soul occurs in the present moment. [1]

They did this in three primary ways. First, by naming the imperialism (fallen-world reality) that existed in their respective places and times, in both the political and religious domains–and the ensuing collusions of the two. Second, by calling the people to remember the will and ways of God, revealed especially and particularly in the Covenant. And third, to repent (look at life in God’s way, not the way of empire) so the people could move into the future restored and hopeful.

The prophets show that God’s “I AM” presence is for the purpose of transformation. Genesis 3 (original sin) is not the defining reality or the final word. God is at work here and now to renew, restore, and reform. Running through every prophet is the message, “You do not have live below par; God is willing and able to give you new life, individually and collectively.” It is summarized in the word ‘shalom’–wellness and wholeness in every area of life.

Tbrough the prophets we are reminded that God is at work moment-by-moment to lead us from darkness into light, from death into life.

[1] The 2017 Oboedire theme was “The Prophetic Task”–a series that used the writings of Walter Brueggemann to explore the prophetic tradition in Scripture and selected means and ministries for living it in the church and world today. If you did not follow Oboedire back then, it is archived on the righthand “Categories” sidebar on the Oboedire home page.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Ever-Present Shepherdhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/here-and-now-ever-present-shepherd/
Wed, 06 Mar 2019 05:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7099Continue reading →]]>​For many people, the 23rd psalm is the high-water mark in the Old Testament. Its esteem is warranted for many reasons. But one is that it roots life in the present moment. The verbs are present tense. David’s experience of God is not a nostalgic looking back or a hoped-for gaze into the future; it is a here-and-now reality.

“The Lord is my shepherd”–this is the basis of living in the present moment. Emmanuel. “God with us.” The with-God life is life with God here and now because God is present and active in our current reality. [1] David illustrated it via these verbs: makes, leads, restores, accompanies (“you are with me”), comforts, prepares, anoints, and overflows–all experiences in the present moment.

Of course, this gives rise to confidence and hope, as David affirmed at the end of the psalm, with one translation of the last verse being, “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long” (23:6 NRSV). [2] David’s experience of God was so complete that he could not imagine a single moment of his life when God would not be with him.

We have already seen many Bible passages where here-and-now life is revealed, and we will see many more as this series unfolds. But it is a blessing to see it in this most-beloved psalm. We are guided by the ever-present Shepherd.

[1] The Renovaré spiritual formation ministry has made the with-God life its paradigm for the Christian spiritual life. The ‘Life With God Bible’ (HarperOne, 2005) is the main resource for teaching this. An accompanying book is Richard Foster’s and Kathryn Helmer’s ‘Life With God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation’ (HarperOne, 2008). I highly recommend the Renovaré ministry, both with respect to this paradigm and the resources the ministry has for forming the with-God life in us.

[2] The Hebrew literally means “for length of days,” leading to the translation above, and to other translations where “forever” is used instead. The phrase is time neutral, showing that our experience of God is all the time, on earth or in heaven.

]]>jstevenharperIn-Formation: The Vision Domainhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/03/04/in-formation-the-vision-domain/
Mon, 04 Mar 2019 05:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7097Continue reading →]]>​[Note: if you are especially following this ongoing series on spiritual formation, please note that in observance of Lent, it will not appear again until Monday, April 22nd. The 2019 theme series “Here and Now” is pre-scheduled and will continue to be posted each Wednesday.

_________________

Before we look at the light, life, and love of creation, we must recognize one more thing about it. Creation is not only the dance of the spiritual life, it is the stage where the dance occurs.

When God created the heavens and the earth, it was the domain where the spiritual life is enacted day after day. We affirm this every time we pray the Lord’s prayer, “thy kingdom come thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The spiritual life combines and synchronizes heaven and earth–the invisible and visible–in everyday living.

Just as our two eyes give us depth perception, heaven and earth give us spiritual perception–what Jesus called having “eyes that see” (Mark 8:18). The linkage of heaven and earth enables us to see how we are to live…and where. It is the linkage Jesus was referring to when he said, “The kingdom of God is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).

It is too easy for the spiritual life to become a “me and Jesus” invisible, inactive, and individualistic thing, rendering us so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. But spirituality that “in the beginning” united heaven and earth will never let us do that. The vision we are exploring keeps heaven and earth together.

J.B. Phillips put it this way, “People have their visions, but they are required to work them out in the everyday stuff of human situations….[We have] to express what is spiritually true in the context of ordinary human relationships and ordinary human problems.” [1]

This creation lesson was further confirmed in the incarnation, where “the Word became flesh and stayed for a little while among us” (John 1:14). This is the paradigm of genuine spirituality: words enacted, what John Wesley called “living faith” and Eugene Peterson termed, “lived theology”–the nexus of heaven and earth.

Below are books which have shaped my theology of human sexuality. The list began as an attempt to gather biblical references, but in the course of doing so, I realized that a full orbed Wesleyan theology must include resources pertaining to tradition, reason, and experience.
So, I have organized this list in relation to the Wesleyan quadrilateral. Most books fit into more than one aspect of the quadrilateral. I have placed each in the category it most helped me understand human sexuality…
**= suggested first book to read in category

(1) Scripture

Mark Achtemeier, ‘The Bible’s Yes to

Same-Sex Marriage’

James Brownson, ‘Bible, Gender, and

Sexuality’

Richard Elliott Friedman and Shawna

Dolansky, ‘The Bible Now’

Luke Timothy Johnson, ‘The Living

Gospel’ (Chapter Eight)

Austin Hartke, “Nonbinary Gender and the

Diverse Besuty of Creation,” The

Christian Century, 4 /16/18

Jennifer Knust, ‘Unprotected Texts’

William Loader, ‘Sexuality and the

Jesus Tradition’

William Loader, ‘Sexuality and the

New Testament’

Linda J. Patterson, ‘Hate Thy Neighbor:

How the Bible is Misused to Condemn

Homosexuality’

**Dan Via’s section in ‘The Bible and

Homosexuality’

Walter Wink, ‘Homosexuality and the Bible’

(2) Tradition (General and Church History)

(A) General History

Francis Mark Mondimore, ‘A

Natural History of Homosexuality’

(B) Church History

**”Cheryl Anderson, ‘Ancient Laws

and Contemporary Controversies’

John Boswell, ‘Christianity, Social

Tolerance and Homosexuality’

(3) Reason (Theology & Science)

(A) Theology

**Megan Shanon DeFranza,

‘Sex Differences in Christian

Theology’

Karen Keen, ‘Scripture, Ethics, and

the Possibility of Same-Sex

Relationships’

Jack David Rogers, ‘Jesus, the

Bible & Homosexuality

(Revised Edition)

Robert Song, ‘Covenant as

Calling’
(B) Sciences

Jaques Balthazart, ‘The Biology of

of Homosexuality’

Jerold Greenberg, ‘Exploring

Dimensions of Human

Sexuality

Justin Lehmiller, ‘The Psychology

of Human Sexuality’

Simon LeVay, ‘Gay, Straight and

the Reason Why: The Science

of Sexual Orientation’

(Second Edition)

Dawne Moon, “Culture and the

Sociology of Sexuality,”

Annals of the American

Academy of Political and

Social Sciences

**Michael Regele, ‘Science,

Scripture, and Same-Sex Love

(4) Experience (Pastoral Tone)

**David Gushee, ‘Changing Our Mind’

(3rd edition)

Steve Harper, ‘For the Sake of the Bride’

James Martin, ‘Building a Bridge’

Tim Otto, ‘Oriented to Love’

Matthew Vines, ‘God and the Gay Christian’

Mel White, ‘Stranger at the Gate’

United Methodist Focused…

Phillip Cramer & William Harbison,

‘The Fight for Marriage’

Reuben Job & Neil Alexander,

‘Finding Our Way,’

Kenneth Carter, ‘Embracing the Wideness’

**Karen Oliveto, ‘Our Strangely Warmed

Hearts’

]]>jstevenharperFor the Bride: You Are Loved!https://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/02/28/for-the-bride-you-are-loved/
Thu, 28 Feb 2019 06:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7118Continue reading →]]>​If I were asked to name the #1 struggle that LGBTQ+ people have, I would say it is their struggle to believe God loves them. If I were asked to name why they have this struggle, I would say because of what they have been told the Bible says about them, and how they have been treated–by Christians. We saw this played out at the recent General Conference of The United Methodist Church.

I write today for you, if you are an LGBTQ+ person–and I write for you if you are a heterosexual person who is an ally with LGBTQ+ people. I write to say one thing: “God is not mad at you. God is madly in love with you.” You are loved!

YOU—exactly as you are. We are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28). We are sacredly and variously made in marvelous ways (Psalm 139:14). We are not a mistake; God does not make mistakes. Being heterosexual is no virtue, and being LGBTQ+ is no vice. We are all human, existing on a spectrum of humanity. [1] YOU are loved!

ARE—right here and right now. Not when you become someone other than who you have been created to be, and are. Not when you have been healed by “conversion therapy.” [2] Not when you find your place in a congregation as a second-class disciple, and don’t ask to do more than attend. Not someday, today. In this moment. You ARE loved.

LOVED—with a love (hesed/agape) that is overflowing, never-ending, universal, gracious, merciful, kind, faithful, and forgiving. This is God’s nature (1John 4:8) and it is God’s behavior toward everyone (Jeremiah 32:24; John 3:16). It is radical, universal love seen in the Bible through what it tells us about the creator, the creation, the covenant, the Christ, the church, and the consumation. [3] You are LOVED.

You must not allow five passages in scripture to carry more authority than what sixty-six books of the Bible reveal. And what it reveals is this: You are God’s beloved child. You always have been. You are right now. And you will be forever. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:38).

Of course, we all must honor God with our lives (e.g. Romans 1:1-2). But the Good News is that ALL OF US can–all of us can glorify God, and do it in singleness and in marriage. All means all!

You are loved. Full stop. End of story. The Story. No substitute stories allowed.

[1] There are multiple pairings in the first creation story, but no pair is a “two.” Every pairing is a spectrum of multiple manifestations. This reality is strengthened by the repetition of the word ‘ kind’–which we would today call ‘species,’–a number beyond calculation, but estimated to be roughly 8.7 million. The reality is further strengthened by the plural words in the first creation story.

[2] Let me be clear, so-called “conversion therapy” is pseudo therapy, junk science. It is a form of spiritual abuse. It is to the shame of the Church that some still believe it is genuine.

[3] I spoke recently about these six meta revelations in an address entitled, “All Means All.” I have shared a link to it, and an outline of my talk in two previous posts here on Oboedire, now archived in the “For the Bride” category. About the video–don’t panic when you see the 2hr, 20min tag. The video started early and ran after the event was over. I spoke about 45 minutes, with an additional 30 minutes of interaction with the attendees.

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Choiceshttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/02/27/here-and-now-choices/
Wed, 27 Feb 2019 05:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=6995Continue reading →]]>​We have explored the basic contours of here-and-now living to recognize that each moment comes as a choice. The present moment leaves it up to us as to how will live it. An old saying captures this reality, “God votes for you, the devil votes against you, and you break the tie.”

The place of volition is key in living in the here and now. It is sometimes a choice with respect to very important things. Moses told the people they had to choose between God and false gods as they prepared to enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 30:19-20), and much of the remainder of the Hebrew Scriptures show how life went for them in relation to their choices. We too come to forks in the road when the choices we make are significant.

But most of the time, we make choices about lesser things. But here is the paradox–we learn that the choices we make in ordinary moments end up shaping us as much (perhaps more) than the choices we make on momentous occasions.The reason is simple–we live much more in the moment than in the momentous, more in the simple than in the spectacular.

We face a great temptation to “do big things for God,” but Jesus taught plainly that the authenticity and faithfulness of our lives is in how we do the little things (Luke 16:10). The present moment is the soil in which we are planted–the occasion in which we choose the fruit which will characterize our lives.

This is why simplicity marks the saints far more than heroism. Brother Lawrence described the way when he said, “We can do little things for God.” The choices we make in the present moment are like colors added to the canvas of our life. Eventually, and little-by-little, the particular colors and individual brushstrokes become the portrait of who we are.

]]>jstevenharperIn-Formation: The Vision Dynamichttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/02/25/in-formation-the-vision-dynamic/
Mon, 25 Feb 2019 05:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7093Continue reading →]]>​Spiritual formation is the lifelong process of living increasingly into the new creation, responding to grace in ways that cause the old to pass away and the new to come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul’s use of the word ‘creation’ (along with other uses of it elsewhere) is the signpost that directs us to see the vision of new creation in the first creation.

Our predecessors in the faith understood this, and they called creation “the first Bible.” And the fact is, it was a revelation that existed for billions of years before “the second Bible” (Holy Scripture) came into being! Our predecessors in the faith recognized that revelation given in the natural order was a sign of what life is meant to look like in the spiritual order.

St. Paul described it this way, “Though invisible to the eye, God’s eternal power and divinity have been seen since the creation of the universe, understood and clearly visible in all of nature” (Romans 1:20). Thomas Aquinas later wrote of this and said, “Sacred writings are bound in two volumes—that of creation and that of Holy Scripture.” [1]

And so, we find the major dimensions of the spiritual life in the first creation story (Genesis 1:1–2:4)–light, life, and love. Today, we look at them together, and then in upcoming posts we will explore them individually. But at the outset it is necessary to recognize that they “dance” together in a dynamic union, never separated or acting independently.

By the time this series ends, we will have described the spiritual life in many many ways. But they can each and all be placed under one (or more) of the three words: light, life, and love. These are the igniting and sustaining words of the spiritual life. The genuineness of our spirituality is discerned in relation to them.

So….what is their message when held together? Thankfully, the writer of the first creation story answers the question. We are not left to wonder, guess, or try to figure it out on our own. The revelation is defined by further revelation. The message of the “dance” of light, life, and love is found in the word ‘good’–repeated seven times in the first creation story. When the spiritual life is what God means for it to be, it is good. [ 2]

First and foremost the spiritual life is good because it is of God. We recognize this when we think of humankind being made in the image of God, but our predecessors in faith (e.g. Sts Francis and Clare) saw it in every aspect of the creation. We live in the midst of cosmic holiness, from the smallest particle to the fartherest star. We are experiencing sacredness in stardust and soul. This is why our ecological crisis is essentially a spiritual crisis; we have separated what Godbmeant to be jouned together–that is, all things.

Second, the spiritual life is good because it is righteous in character and conduct. The union created by God inwardly and outwardly is what we call integrity. The private and public aspects of our lives tell one story because they are of obe Story. That’s why Jesus called out hypocrites–“two-story people” whose profession of faith and expression of faith were not congruent. It’s why James would later say of such folks, “They are double-minded, unstable inball their ways” (James 1:8 CEB) [3]

Third, the spiritual life is good because it is constructive. When God said, “It is good,” it was God’s way of saying, “This suits the purpose I have in mind for it. This fits together with everything else I am making.” We would say that the spiritual life puts us in sync with everyone and everything. This is why the spiritual life is described in Scripture as a life that edifies, builds up, and improves status-quo current realities.

Before we delve into the details of light, life, and love, we must recognize the goodness they produced in the first creation, and the goodness they produce in the new creation. Theologically, we call it original righteousness. It is where natural life began, and where spiritual life begins. Our vision of new creation comes to us through the first creation. Formation is not a new story; it is the fulfillment (made possible by Christ) of the story God has had in mind for us all from the beginning.

[1] Thomas Aquinas, Sermons on the Two Precepts of Charity and the Ten Precepts of the Law (1273).

[2] The Hebrew word is ‘tōb.’ It used 697 times in the Old Testament whenever some aspect of the God-shaped life is described. It is a rich word with personal and communal meanings.

[3] The Inclusive Bible unpacks the idea of double-mindedness as, “they are devious and erratic in all they do,” showing that being two-story people not only affects us, but others as well.

]]>jstevenharperFor the Bride: Holy Sexualityhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/02/23/for-the-bride-holy-sexuality/
Sat, 23 Feb 2019 05:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7084Continue reading →]]>I begin new posts for this occasional series with “Holy Sexuality” because it is a broad topic in our society, and it is a particular topic under consideration at The General Conference of The United Methodist Church that begins today in St. Louis.

___________________________

​The Bible does not use gender to define things, but only to describe them. The Bible uses covenant to define things because the covenant is the way God chose to operationalize the divine will. Covenant is the means which makes real our prayer, “thy kingdom come thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Given that gender is not the defining factor for holiness, it is unfortunate that some Christians use gender to define marriage as a “one man, one woman” relationship. The Bible does not say that marriage is between one man and one woman; it describes it that way because it was the norm. It still is today, given that 90% or so of humanity is heterosexual.

But there is a difference between what is normative and what is definitive. To say something is normative is to say how something is most of the time, not how it must be all the time. We have combined normative and definitive in our thinking and theologizing, and created a view of sexuality that is not covenental.

I grew up in west Texas. Our high school was large enough to play eleven-man football. But ten miles away the school was small, and had to play six-man football. On Friday nights, the stadium lights were on in both towns, and both schools played football. Football was not defined by the number playing, but by overarching rules that applied to any school wanting to field a team. Eleven-man football was normative in most places (and it still is), but it was not definitive.

In a similar way, holy sexuality is not defined by gender, but by covenant. And in the covenant, there are four qualities that reflect God’s will for sexuality: sacredness, fidelity, permanency, and (with the coming of the New Covenant) monogamy. These words define holy sexuality, and every biblical passage that affirms godly love incarnates them, and every passage that describes sexual sin violates them. It is covenant in Scripture, not gender, that defines what holy sexuality is, and is not.

If we recognize where the Bible defines sexuality, we will not define it exclusively through gender or orientation. We will define it through covenant, using covenant as the one standard for any and all sexuality: sacredness, fidelity, permanency, and monogamy. [1]

With the covenant definition as our reference point, we find that people of all genders and orientations can establish sexual relations that honor sacredness, fidelity, permanency, and monogamy. And with the covenant definition as our reference point, we also find that peoole of all genders and orientations can commit sexual sin. Covenant creates affirmative accountability for all people–which is to say there is one standard for sexuality…holiness, and we are all created so that we can make and keep vows that honor and express holy sexuality. And… we are all called to do so.

This is precisely why non-heterosexual marriage must be allowed. There is one covenant standard for sexuality, and there is one covenental means for expressing it for a lifetime: marriage. If we expect all people to keep the covenant, we must provide all people with the means for doing so. [2] Covenant expectations without covenant means produces a caricatured holiness, turning a covenant standard into something (from the get-go) that not everyone can keep.

Holy sexuality, like everything else, is not defined by gender, but by covenant. If we are followers of Christ, our aim is to express our sexuality in ways that honor and keep the covenant, and our ministry is meant to offer that same opportunity to everyone. Affirmative accountability for all. All means all.

[1] I recognize that I am writing mostly about covenant sexuality in the context of marriage, and I am doing so intentionally to make the point that marriage is not gender defined. Sexuality for single people is a topic all its own, but the covenant applies there too. And in that light, all sexuality (in singleness or marriage) can be summarized in one word: non-promiscuous. I must leave it to single persons to discern what that means, since I have been married for nearly forty nine years. But the point for us all is that we define and express our sexuality in relation to covenant.

[2] This is why lifelong celibacy for non-heterosexual persons is wrong. The Bible nowhere commands LGBTQ+ persons to be celibate for a lifetime. Sexual celibacy was an artificial necessity imposed by the Church once it denied marriage to non-heterosexual persons. It was never a biblical requirement–for anyone. It can be a voluntary choice (Matthew 19:12), but it is not a biblical command.

]]>jstevenharperIn-Formation: The Vision Doorwayhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/in-formation-the-vision-doorway/
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 05:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7063Continue reading →]]>​Our exploration of spiritual formation is not haphazard, nor is our experience of it. I am grateful to Richard Foster for creating the threefold paradigm that we will follow in this series: vision, intention, and means. [1]

We begin with Vision. Today and next week we will look at the vision as-a-whole, and then in coming weeks, we will explore each main ingredient of the vision in detail. [2]

Long ago, Solomon wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people are wild” (Proverbs 29:18). He understood that it is our vision which shapes and sustains the spiritual life. We become like that which we see.

The Hebrew in the verse is rich and insightful. The word ‘vision’ is translated as ‘prophecy’ in the NRSV. It is a vision which is not only seen, but also shared. The Message is mediated by messengers. It is not a private/individualized vision; rather, it is a proclaimed/communal one.

The phrase ‘the people are wild’ is equally powerful. The NRSV translates it ‘the people cast off restraint.’ The CEB renders it, ‘the people get out of control.’ The idea is that without a center, we have no option but to make things up on our own, which in terms of the spiritual life means we take a part of that life and try to make it central, creating a partial, distorted, and deformative vision.

The old story of the blind men and the elephant makes the point. Each person interpreted their experience (i.e. an ear, the trunk, a leg, the tail) and mistook it for the whole elephant. We do the same thing with the spiritual life if there is no vision inspiring and informing us. Without a vision we settle for less than what God has in store for us, thinking all the while that “have it all.”

The history of spirituality is rife with examples of deformative spiritual lives, almost always when an individual’s or group’s experience is touted as the whole picture and totally correct. This “one stop shopping for all things spiritual” easily leads to partisanship and sectarianism in religion, just as it does in every other area of life when one view is alleged to be the entire one.

Our spirituality must be large if it is to be be genuine. Vision is the doorway to discovery. Vision invites us into the world of God–a world that is deep and wide.

[1] The ‘Life With God Bible’ (HarperOne, 2005) uses this paradigm, and Richard wrote further about it in the book he authored with Kathryn Helmers, ‘Life With God’ (HarperOne, 2008).

[2] I remind you of something I said in the introduction: I am not in a hurry in this series. We are intentionally taking a slow, piece-by-piece look at the spiritual life. This more contemplative, little-by-little is as important as the content. It will all fit together in the end; in the meantime, I am writing in a way that fits a blog-length style and a lectio divina spirit. This is a long-haul series, not a quick-fix one.

]]>jstevenharperFor the Bride: My Journeyhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/for-the-bride-my-journey/
Thu, 21 Feb 2019 20:00:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7077Continue reading →]]>Here is a synopsis of my journey since 2014 of to being an ally with the LGBTQ+ community…

I met some of you last evening at First UMC Orlando for the first time, and you asked about my journey to becoming an ally with the LGBTQ+ community. Here are some ways you can find out, as you like….

(1) My book, ‘For the Sake of the Bride’ (Abingdon Press, 2014) tells how my experience in Lent of that year opened the door to my becoming an ally…and…how the principles of love, non-judgment, and holy conferencing are given to us by God to enable us to create and sustain inclusive community.

(2) I followed the book with a yearlong series of blog posts entitled “For the Bride” (9/5/14–7/13/15), in which I expanded what I only began in the book. These are archived on my Oboedire blog (www.oboedire.wordpress.com).

(3) About a year later (March 2015), I was invited to speak at a Reconciling Ministries Network conference on the subject, “How I Changed My Mind.” Here is the link to the archived YouTube video:

(4) The ensuing years have continued to expand Jeannie’s and my involvement as allies, mainly at the local level and through conversations with LGBTQ+ friends and even strangers.

(5) Last night’s presentation was one of only a few public engagements, but it was an opportunity I am grateful to have been given.

(6) In retirement, my ministry is focused in my Oboedire blog, where I write mainly (and have since 2010) about spiritual formation from a variety of vantage points. Ongoing thoughts about human sexuality are part of that writing. Check it out as you like, and subscribe if you wish.

(7) Finally, I have been asked along the way to show the books which have developed my thinking the past five years. Here are the ones I have compiled intona basic bibliography for inquirees…

A Basic Affirming Bibliography On Human Sexuality

Below are books which have shaped my theology of human sexuality. The list began as an attempt to gather biblical references, but in the course of doing so, I realized that a full orbed Wesleyan theology must include resources pertaining to tradition, reason, and experience.

So, I have organized this list in relation to the Wesleyan quadrilateral. Most books fit into more than one aspect of the quadrilateral. I have placed each in the category it most helped me understand human sexuality…

**= suggested first book to read in category

(1) Scripture

Mark Achtemeier, ‘The Bible’s Yes to

Same-Sex Marriage’

James Brownson, ‘Bible, Gender, and

Sexuality’

Richard Elliott Friedman and Shawna

Dolansky, ‘The Bible Now’

Luke Timothy Johnson, ‘The Living

Gospel’ (Chapter 8)

Austin Hartke, “Nonbinary Gender and the

Diverse Besuty of Creation,” The

Christian Century, 4 /16/18

Jennifer Knust, ‘Unprotected Texts’

William Loader, ‘Sexuality and the

Jesus Tradition’

William Loader, ‘Sexuality and the

New Testament’

Linda J. Patterson, ‘Hate Thy Neighbor:

How the Bible is Misused to Condemn

Homosexuality’

**Dan Via’s section in ‘The Bible and

Homosexuality’

Walter Wink, ‘Homosexuality and the Bible’

(2) Tradition (General and Church History)

(A) General History

Francis Mark Mondimore, ‘A

Natural History of Homosexuality’

(B) Church History

**”Cheryl Anderson, ‘Ancient Laws

and Contemporary Controversies’

John Boswell, ‘Christianity, Social

Tolerance and Homosexuality’

(3) Reason (Theology & Science)

(A) Theology

**Megan Shanon DeFranza,

‘Sex Differences in Christian

Theology’

Karen Keen, ‘Scripture, Ethics, and

the Possibility of Same-Sex

Relationships’

Jack David Rogers, ‘Jesus, the

Bible & Homosexuality

(Revised Edition)
(B) Sciences

Jaques Balthazart, ‘The Biology of

of Homosexuality’

Jerold Greenberg, ‘Exploring

Dimensions of Human

Sexuality

Justin Lehmiller, ‘The Psychology

of Human Sexuality’

Simon LeVay, ‘Gay, Straight and

the Reason Why: The Science

of Sexual Orientation’

(Second Edition)

Dawne Moon, “Culture and the

Sociology of Sexuality,”

Annals of the American

Academy of Political and

Social Sciences

**Michael Regele, ‘Science,

Scripture, and Same-Sex Love

(4) Experience (Pastoral Tone)

**David Gushee, ‘Changing Our Mind’

(3rd edition)

Steve Harper, ‘For the Sake of the Bride’

James Martin, ‘Building a Bridge’

Tim Otto, ‘Oriented to Love’

Matthew Vines, ‘God and the Gay Christian’

Mel White, ‘Stranger at the Gate’

(5) United Methodist Focused…

Phillip Cramer & William Harbison,

‘The Fight for Marriage’

Reuben Job & Neil Alexander,

‘Finding Our Way,’

Kenneth Carter, ‘Embracing the Wideness’

Karen Oliveto, ‘Our Strangely Warmed

Hearts’

But more than these things are the friendships of LGBTQ+ people, who have loved, encouraged, and supported Jeannie and me (when others have not), showing us over and over their love of God and their lives of faithful discipleship–proving and demonstrating the power of grace to sustain them even when they were/are rejected by the Body of Christ. Along with other Christian friends, the gay Christian community has been Church to Jeannie and me in ways we have never known before.

–goodness (how the goodness of creation is expressed in everyday living)

–life (Deuteronomy 4:1; Deuteronomy 30:19)

IV. Christ

–says nothing explicitly about homosexuality

–models key elements of inclusion:

–invitation to all (Matthew 11:28)

–valuing of eunuchs (Matthew 19:12)

–prayer in John 17

V. Church

–witness to universaity (Colossians 3:11)

–inclusion of all (Galatians 3:28)

–eunuch was first convert after the church scattered (Acts 8:27)

VI. Consummation

–trajectory of God’s eternal plan (Ephesians 1:9-10)

–vision of God’s accomplished plan (Revelation 7:9)
Conclusion

–taking all six vantage points into consideration: all means ALL (Psalm 150:6)

–everything boils down to this: you are God’s beloved child!

For Further Reading

David Gushee, Changing Our Minds (3rd edition)

Steve Harper, For the Sake of the Bride

Jennifer Knust, Unprotected Texts

]]>jstevenharperFor the Bride: Resuming Postshttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/for-the-bride-resuming-posts/
Thu, 21 Feb 2019 19:00:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=7065Continue reading →]]>Following last night’s event at First United Methodist Church in Orlando, I am resuming posts in this “For the Bride” category. Previous posts were essentially expansions on things I wrote about in my book, ‘For the Sake of the Bride’ (Abingdon Press, 2014). You can go back to them as you like.

The revived posts in this series continue the journey, enabling me to add new thoughts to the series. I am beginning with reposting a few things I put on Facebook earlier today, so they can be archived in a better way. If you have already seen them, skip them and wait for upcoming new posts. Here is the reflection I posted earlier on Facebook about last evening…

Last evening Jeannie and I had the opportunity to spend time with LGBTQ+ folks, allies, and others who came to hear my presentation, “All Means All: The Bible’s Affirmation of LGBTQ+ Persons.”

It was a moving evening for me, because a planned segment of the evening included some Q&A, and I visited personally with some others as well.

In the span of two hours, I met people who had been kicked out of their homes by Christian parents when they came out. I heard of someone who died by suicide within the past month because Christians had drained him of his sense of humanity.

And in addition to this, I heard again stories from LGBTQ+ Christians who were worship leaders, choir members, youth ministers, lay leaders, and serving Christ in other ways in churches……until…..until. All they had to do was say, “I’m gay” and they were gone–told by pastors and fellow Christians (in a variety of ways) that they were “less than” people, no longer permitted to minister in the congregation. Some were paid staff members, who were told to clean out their desks and leave the building.

And yet, here they all were last evening in First UMC Orlando–still coming to church believing that there is a difference between how they have been treated by the church and how God feels about them. Still believing that the Inner Voice who says, “You are my beloved” is the true voice, not the voices they have heard from Christian parents, pastors, and friends who say, “You’re an abomination.”
The imago dei is in everyone, and nothing can snuff it out–not even the voices of those who claim to speak for God…but do not. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” And our LGBTQ+ friends know this at a deeper level than many of us “hetero-privileged”, “church-approved” people do.

Last evening, Jeannie and I were blessed to be with our siblings in Christ. And oh my yes, there is a difference between our ragamuffin fellowship and the sanitized “pure church mentality” that does all it can to preserve itself. Last evening, we were among God’s beloved children, who welcomed us with open arms, and who offered us Christ from a depth of experience that is always a thin place between heaven and earth when love prevails. We “had church”–oh my, did we ever!

]]>jstevenharperHere and Now: Sabbathhttps://oboedire.wordpress.com/2019/02/20/here-and-now-sabbath/
Wed, 20 Feb 2019 05:05:00 +0000http://oboedire.wordpress.com/?p=6993Continue reading →]]>​Sabbath-keeping is a sign we are living a here-and-now life. But to see this, we must not view the Sabbath as one day in seven separated and isolated from the other six.

Jesus pointed to the right view of sabbath when he said, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27). He was talking about the flow–the sabbath into us, not us into a particular day. Sabbath is a rhythm, not a day–a pattern, not a 24-hour period. So, how does sabbath influence living in the present moment?

More than anything else, it is a reminder that every moment is a gift, and it is lived by grace. Kimberly Richter notes that when we lose the sabbath, “we become enslaved to our economy and efforts. We come to believe everything depends on what we can provide for ourselves. To keep a rhythm of Sabbath rest is to remember that God is the maker and giver of all good things.” [1]

Out of this realization we live humbly in every moment, giving thanks to God who is the Source of the here-and-now, and offering ourselves in each moment as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) to be instruments of God’s peace. We take on the disposition of Paul, realizing we are the servants of others for Christ’s sake (2 Corinthians 4:5).

This is precisely why the idea of rest is associated with sabbath. In a literal sense, it is the renewal which occurs as we adopt the work/rest pattern in each day. And in the figurative sense, it is the relaxation which comes (as Richter noted above) as we realize we are not the creators of moments, but only the beneficiaries of and servants within them. To be fully present in a moment is to live the sabbath, receiving from and giving to what that moment is.